Writing from the 2018 HCI International conference—which includes the 6th Distributed, Ambient and Pervasive Interactions (DAPI) conference—that is taking place in Las Vegas this year.

I organized a Parallel Session entitled Emotion & Ambient Computing (DAPI parallel session, Thursday, 19 July 2018: 10:30 – 12:30) to start a discussion about atmospheres, space, the senses, emotion and technology… also from the point of view of architects or “spatial tricksters”. In the session, Zenovia Touloudi (Darmouth University) presented her paper on interdependent metabolic structures and her Cyborg Garden project, which triggers empathy as well as invites to caring and being with others and plants. Felecia Davis (Penn State University) gave a presentation of her computational textile project Felt (awarded best DAPI conference paper!). I also presented a reflection on “Computing Atmospheres”—Ironic when you think about the conference venue, with lots of indoor and… very supra-particular spaces: have a look at the ceiling height in the room where I presented (Thank you Zenovia for the photograph :) and the number of steps (and kilometers of carpet) that I have walked without leaving the hotel complex! All of this gives me more topics/angles on ambiances to research and write about.