Physical Computing—Flexible and Shape-Changing Interfaces

This special issue on physical computing explores flexible and shape-changing interfaces and how, by embedding computational capabilities into physical objects, we can bridge the divide between the digital and physical worlds. Shape-changing interfaces leverage users’ rich manipulation capabilities and haptic sensations and directly couple the digital and physical worlds by making the shape of physical objects as dynamic as their digital counterparts. The articles and related departments in this issue consider the challenges and deployment opportunities of this evolving field of research.