Motivation
Sensory interaction has been a foundational concern in Human–Computer Interaction since its earliest days, evolving through paradigms such as multimodal interaction and, more recently, multisensory experiences. These traditions have substantially broadened the design space by enabling richer combinations of input and output modalities. Yet, they have often approached sensory channels as parallel or additive resources, focusing on coordination and integration rather than on how sensory signals may actively reshape one another at perceptual, cognitive and interactional levels.
In contrast, research in psychology and cognitive neuroscience has long demonstrated that perception is fundamentally crossmodal: stimulation in one sensory modality can systematically alter how information in another is perceived, interpreted, or acted upon. Advances in our understanding of crossmodal correspondences, sensory substitution, and neuroplasticity have shown that the brain is not only capable of integrating sensory signals, but of reorganising perceptual processing across modalities. In recent years, these insights have increasingly entered HCI research and practice. Interactive systems now deliberately leverage cross-sensory effects to create perceptual illusions, enhance or suppress specific sensations, support sensory substitution, and enable new forms of embodied and inclusive interaction.
We refer to this growing body of work as cross-sensory interaction. Rather than centring on the combination of multiple sensory modalities, cross-sensory interaction foregrounds the relational and transformative effects between sensory modalities themselves. It asks how interaction design can intentionally intervene in perceptual processing – how sensory signals can interact, interfere, substitute for, or enhance one another – and what this means for the experiences, behaviours, and meanings that interactive systems produce and maintain.
Workshop
Join our CHI ACM SIGCHI 2026 Workshop to uncover how cross-sensory approaches are reshaping human-computer interaction, inspiring new perspectives and groundbreaking technologies. This workshop aims to bring together researchers and practitioners across HCI, psychology, design, and fabrication to collectively explore:
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- How does cross-sensory interaction relate to, extend, or challenge existing notions of multimodal and multisensory interaction?
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- What theoretical commitments does cross-sensory interaction imply, and what forms of experimental control and design methodology does it require?
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- How can cross-sensory interactive systems be responsibly engineered and evaluated, particularly given their implications for inclusion, accessibility, and ethics?
Type of submission:
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- Statement of interest (1-2 pages), or
- Position paper (4-6 pages)
We welcome contributions that engage with the workshop theme through practice, experimentation, or critical reflection. Submissions should also aim to bring something into the workshop to work with, such as a method, prototype, artefact, or design approach, and should also identify one or two questions or challenges for collective discussion at the workshop. Non-traditional formats, including sketches, slides, videos, or posters, are encouraged too.
Important dates
- Submission deadline: Monday, February 16, 2026
- Notification of acceptance: Monday, February 23, 2026
- Workshop date: Monday, April 13, 2026