# VISMOCK: A Programmable Smocking Technique for Creating Interactive Data Physicalization

Bahare Bakhtiari, Charles Perin, Sowmya Somanath

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Bahare Bakhtiari, Charles Perin, Sowmya Somanath. VISMOCK: A Programmable Smocking Technique for Creating Interactive Data Physicalization. IEEE VIS 2025 Electronic Conference Proceedings, Nov 2025, Vienna, Austria. hal-05514474

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# VISMOCK: A Programmable Smocking Technique for Creating Interactive Data Physicalization

Bahare Bakhtiari* University of Victoria

Sowmya Somanath† University of Victoria

Charles Perin‡ University of Victoria

<figure><img src="image_2.png" /><figcaption>Figure 1: Three data physicalization examples created using VISMOCK technique.</figcaption></figure>

## 1 INTRODUCTION

Data physicalization research is focused on exploring how new physical mediums can be used to represent and interact with data [8]. To this end, researchers have proposed new systems and techniques for data physicalization. For example, actuated robots(e.g., [10], edible materials like candy (e.g., [9], fabrication methods like kirigami paper cutting [5], plants [4] have been explored to support data analysis. Building on these works, we explore the potential of e-textiles as mediums for representing and interacting with data (See Figure 1). This work summarizes a work previously published in Proceedings of DIS 2024 [1].

E-textiles or electronically augmented textiles have been used as a medium for conveying information in a variety of ambient, social, and artistic contexts (e.g., [3]). However, these previous projects do not focus on data physicalization i.e., they do not study how data can be mapped to the visual and physical variables of e-textiles, and developing interaction techniques for exploring data. Using the research-through-design methodology [12] we developed VISMOCK, a technique that integrates off-the-shelf electronics with textile to create a programmable display for representing and interacting with data (see Figure 1). VISMOCK uses the *smocking* technique that creates three-dimensional shapes on fabrics. The resultant 3D shapes can be utilized to display a number of visual variables such as position and size of a data point, or the area occupied by a data point [2]. Additionally, smocked patterns have an inherent elastic quality and can have different textures, which can be used to convey tactile variables such as roughness, lay, and compliance [7].

We demonstrate the generative power of VISMOCK's design space via four exemplars that show potential applications for our technique in personal and group settings (see Figure 1). Exemplar 1a and 1b are task progress representations, exemplar 2 is a heatmap of stress level value, and exemplar 3 is an example of group running distance. These exemplars demonstrate three main capabilities of VISMOCK. First, the technique can be utilized to represent different

types of data and data visualization idioms such as bar charts (exemplar 1a) and line charts (exemplar 3). Second, supported via manual and computationally triggered interactions, operations such as filtering (exemplar 3) and zooming (exemplar 2) can be performed. Third, by programming thermochromic pigments and shape memory alloys, VISMOCK can modify visual variables such as the color and shape of data points dynamically.

## 2 VISMOCK DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION

The primary component of VISMOCK is the smocking display created by integrating traditional American smocked patterns with programmable electronics. A smocking display comprises multiple cells representing a square grid with a designated stitch design. These cells are linked to a circuit to control their color and shape. We use a composite technique to create a smocking display. This involves compositing a fabric layer named the heater layer containing the electronics and the circuit with a smocked pattern layer. We mix thermochromic pigments with white dye and apply the mixture onto the fabric surface to support color actuation. The heater layer then actuates the thermochromic pigment. These pigments typically allow a material to transition between two states: its original base color and changed color when exposed to heat above a certain threshold. Upon cooling below this threshold, the material reverts to its base color. Different color intensities can be achieved by manipulating the on and off duration for the passing current. This makes it possible to apply binary and non-binary color changes to cells. We use Shape-Memory Alloys (SMAs), such as shape memory wires and springs, to support shape actuation. The smocking stitches use SMAs and return to their trained state when heated above their activation temperature. By controlling the current passing through the SMAs and the heat generated, we can control their shape (see Figure 2).

### 2.1 VISMOCK Design Space

We developed a design space 3, which includes independent variables, dependent variables, and affordances. Independent variables, such as cell size, number of cells, pattern type, static cell color, cell stitch state, and cell temperature, can be manually or electronically adjusted without affecting other variables. Dependent variables, influenced by adjustments in independent variables, include visual aspects like shape, shape size, shape position, and dynamic cell color, as well as tactile aspects like roughness, lay, and compliance. We

<footnote>*e-mail: baharebakhtiari@uvic.ca</footnote>

<footnote>†e-mail: sowmyasomanath@uvic.ca</footnote>

<footnote>‡e-mail: cperin@uvic.ca</footnote>
<figure><img src="image_3.png" /><figcaption>Figure 2: Steps to create VISMOCK: 1-2: creating heater layer for color changing feature, 3-5: applying thermochromic pigments as color changing component, 6-9: attaching shape-memory alloys for shape-changing feature</figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="image_4.png" /><figcaption>Figure 3: VISMOCK design space</figcaption></figure>

defined VISMOCK’s affordances based on categories introduced by Hartson et al. [6]: functional affordances enable task completion, like adjusting stitches and mapping cell colors to data ranges, sensory affordances facilitate information perception through temperature, color, and tactile features, physical affordances allow actions such as compressing the display, and cognitive affordances aid in understanding display characteristics and data trends.

## 2.2 Discussion and Future Work

VISMOCK enables the creation of various representations and interactions. For example, it is capable of supporting both unit and aggregate visualizations. Unit visualizations represent each data point using a unique visual mark while aggregate visualizations summarize collections of data points [11]. VISMOCK affordances incorporate characteristics such as compliance and roughness to unlock interaction possibilities such as updating, filtering, and zooming.

VISMOCK representation can be used in different contexts and scenarios: private context to physicalize personal data; group context to physicalize individual and group data; public context to physicalize public data. Based on the context the primary sensory channel to communicate data might defer. For instance, in the case of using VISMOCK to represent personal data, both visual and tactile sensory channels might be desirable. However, tactile sensory becomes the primary channel for communicating data if the user is visually impaired.

Combining smocked patterns with color- and shape-changing capabilities shows promise, but predicting outcomes without creating physical prototypes is difficult. This makes the ideation process labour-intensive, time-consuming, and resource-heavy. Additionally, we have used thermochromic pigments and SMAs to actuate color and shape in VISMOCK patterns. These elements are difficult to scale due to their high power consumption.

## REFERENCES

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