Strawctures: A Modular Electronic Construction Kit for Human-Scale Interactive Structures

Tools shape the way we think and make. This paper presents Strawctures, a toolkit for prototyping human-scale interactive artifacts. Strawctures consists of eight different functional modules including electronic components (touch and light for input, vibration, buzzer, and LEDs for output, two logic modules, and one extension) and connectors to explore form and function simultaneously. By simplifying prototyping processes of interactive artifacts in a real size, Strawctures provide a means to bring electronics to early stages in designers’ exploration, especially for those who are not trained nor confident in electronics. We demonstrate three application examples including a scarecrow (garden decoration), a pendant lighting (furniture), and a house (large-scale construction toy) to share the unique creative affordances of the kit as a tool for designers (Figure 1).