Abstract
Interaction is critical for data analysis and sensemaking. However, designing interactive physicalizations is challenging as it requires cross-disciplinary knowledge in visualization, fabrication, and electronics. Interactive physicalizations are typically produced in an unstructured manner, resulting in unique solutions for a specific dataset, problem, or interaction that cannot be easily extended or adapted to new scenarios or future physicalizations. To mitigate these challenges, we introduce a computational design pipeline to 3D print network physicalizations with integrated sensing capabilities. Networks are ubiquitous, yet their complex geometry also requires significant engineering considerations to provide intuitive, effective, and interactive exploration. Using our pipeline, designers can readily produce network physicalizations supporting selection—the most critical atomic operation for interaction—by touch through capacitive sensing and computational inference. Our computational design pipeline concurrently considers the form and interactivity of a physicalization during fabrication. We illustrate our approach using (i) three usage scenarios focusing on general visualization tasks, (ii) computational evaluations, and (iii) expert discussion. This pipeline introduces a new design paradigm for physicalizations by concurrently generating interactivity alongside form. This design paradigm shift enables us to produce generalizable techniques that can lower the barrier to physicalization research, creation, and adoption.