Autonomic Interfaces for Augmenting Autonomic Processes

Tan Gemicioglu, Tanzeem Choudhury
Published in Sensorimotor Devices Workshop at the 2025 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2025
Abstract
Autonomic processes are responsible for maintaining the most vital bodily functions, yet physiological interfaces have had limited success in continuously augmenting these functions. A new wave of wearable and ubiquitous devices have begun to sense and actuate autonomic processes of the human body while requiring little deliberate input from the user. In this position paper, we explore three examples of such devices from our work: An airflow breathing guide, a nerve stimulator for modulating satiety and a haptic glove for implicitly learning piano. The design and experience of these devices provide a unique perspective on control and awareness in interaction. We synthesize common trends for the design of “autonomic interfaces,” sensorimotor devices that augment users’ abilities implicitly by mirroring the mechanisms of autonomic physiological processes.