Last up at @acm_CHI 2026 is Stepdance: A Toolkit for Redesigning Existing CNC Machines Using Physical Metaphors
Stepdance is co-authored by Ilan Moyer, @emxtyu , @devnfrost , and Maria Yang.
Stepdance builds on our prior experiments with craft-aligned digital fabrication technologies. We sought to make it easier for designers and engineers to create CNC technologies that preserve elements of real-time interaction, manual control, and direct material engagement.
Stepdance is a modular, creative motion-control platform that replaces the G-code or other motion controller in your CNC machine.
You can use Stepdance modules to design mappings between live user input on custom physical interfaces, pre-programmed operations, and machine motion.
We developed Stepdance during the 2025 Fab Lab Residency at @haystack_school . and used it with @3dpotter printers, @axidraw plotters, and @creality3d printers.
For more details, check out stepdance.org
Or see our presentation at CHI in Barcelona, Friday, April 17th, in the 11:15 AM session /chi/2026/my-schedule/content/223351
Next up at @acm_CHI 2026, a paper led by joyce.passananti and @emxtyu and co-authored with professor Tobias Höllerer and ceramic artist and professor Timea Tihanyi ( @sliprabbitstudio ) entitled "Clay ARTools: Precise Machine Toolpath Editing for Clay 3D Printing With Craft-Inspired Direct Manipulation Tools in AR"
This work builds on our prior research in CAM-based design for clay 3D printing, extending the design environment to Augmented Reality. Clay 3D printing is often controlled by directly programming the deposition toolpath to fully exploit the capabilities of this fabrication method.
But systems that afford this level of control are based on desktop interactions. We wondered, could we make precise toolpath editing feel more embodied?
Augmented reality enables embodied interactions, but so far has only been applied to CAD. For toolpath editing necessary for clay 3D printing, we need to provide controllable ways to make edits. We do that by encapsulating edit operations as digital ceramic tools, inspired by ceramics tools.
Joyce and Emile implemented this idea in a prototype AR system that lets people manipulate and combine tools and modifiers to edit a toolpath.
In collaboration with Timea, we used Clay AR to design and fabricate ceramic vessels to demonstrate the wide range of effects that the digital tools and modifiers afford
Check out the paper at /publication/clayar
And if you’re at CHI, see Joyce's talk this Wednesday >> /chi/2026/program/content/223380
Just finished presenting our course on Computational Craft at @acmsiggraph 2025, alongside co-presenters @emxtyu , Hannah Twigg-Smith, and Emily Whiting, and co-organizers Nadya Peek and Mackenzie Leake.
Full course slides available at expressivecomputation.com/craftcourse
