Designing Human-building Interfaces for Existing Buildings with Responsive Materials and Mobile Robots

Recent technological advancements and a growing emphasis on circular and adaptable architectural designs within established built environments have catalyzed innovative approaches in the realm of human-building interfaces (HBIs).HBIs represent a transformative paradigm in architecture and construction, centered on integrating interactive technologies into pre-existing building surfaces.In this study, we investigate the design potential of novel interfaces tailored for existing building surfaces, employing readily available responsive materials and mobile robots.Leveraging accessible interactive technologies, we present a comprehensive review of three early-stage strategies of HBIs: PainterFace, PixelFace, and PixelGreen.These HBIs were aimed at enriching user interaction and experience within their surroundings, fostering spaces that are both adaptive and interactive.Experimental HBIs are constructed using a range of responsive materials and mobile robots, including conductive paints, spherical mobile robots, and unmanned aerial vehicles functioning as "agents" to facilitate communication, interactivity, and responsiveness on existing building surfaces.The multifaceted nature of HBIs showcased in this paper presents diverse approaches with substantial potential to transform established building surfaces into interactive and responsive environments.A comparative analysis of the three HBIs highlights potential implications and future avenues for HBIs.Moreover, the findings of these studies provide valuable insights into design considerations, challenges, and future trajectories for the development and implementation of HBIs on existing building surfaces, ushering in a new era of intelligent and responsive built environments.Future endeavors will focus on further research to address challenges and unlock the full potential of HBIs, ultimately leading to the advancement of enhanced, adaptable, circular, and sustainable architectural designs.