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Figure 1. Example shape-changing interfaces: (a) Morphees, a shape-changing mobile phone [75]; (b) An elastic deformable display [102]; (c) inFORM, a self-actuated pin-array [23]; (d) ShapeClip, a prototyping toolkit for shape-changing interfaces [32].

Figure 1: inFORM enables new interaction techniques for shape-changing UIs. Left to right: On-demand UI elements through Dynamic Affordances; Guiding interaction with Dynamic Constraints; Object actuation; Physical rendering of content and UI. ABSTRACTPast research on shape displays has primarily focused on rendering content and user interface elements through shape output, with less emphasis on dynamically changing UIs. We propose utilizing shape displays in three different ways to mediate interaction: to facilitate by providing dynamic physical affordances through shape change, to restrict by guiding users with dynamic physical constraints, and to manipulate by actuating physical objects. We outline potential interaction techniques and introduce Dynamic Physical Affordances and Constraints with our inFORM system, built on top of a stateof-the-art shape display, which provides for variable stiffness rendering and real-time user input through direct touch and tangible interaction. A set of motivating examples demonstrates how dynamic affordances, constraints and object actuation can create novel interaction possibilities.

Figure 1. Zooids can be held as tokens, manipulated collectively or individually, behave as physical pixels, act as handles and controllers, and can move dynamically under machine control. They are building blocks for a new class of user interface we call swarm user interfaces.