CHI 2026 Workshop

Overview

Human–Computer Interaction has long explored how technology can engage more sensory modalities than just vision and sound. In recent years, a growing body of work has gone further, intentionally leveraging how stimulation in one sensory modality can alter perception, cognition, or experience in another; a perspective we refer to as cross-sensory interaction. This workshop aims to bring together researchers and practitioners to examine cross-sensory interaction as an emerging focus within HCI.

Rather than simply adding more senses to interfaces, cross-sensory interaction foregrounds relationships between senses: how touch can shape colour perception, how smell can influence thermal experience, or how sound can change the felt qualities of shape and material. The workshop aims to collectively explore whether this perspective of “cross-sensory interaction” offers a useful way of advancing theory, design, and engineering in sensory HCI research and practice.

Motivation

Multimodal and multisensory interaction have shaped decades of HCI research. However, these frameworks do not always capture the deeper perceptual and cognitive effects that occur across sensory channels. Advances in crossmodal cognition and neuroscience, particularly around neuroplasticity and sensory substitution, have begun to inform interactive systems that deliberately reconfigure how users perceive the world.

Despite increasing interest, work in this space remains fragmented across disciplines, methods, and application domains. Key questions remain underexplored:

How should cross-sensory effects be designed for, measured, and evaluated?
When do cross-sensory mappings enrich interaction, and when might they undermine design goals?
Is “cross-sensory interaction” a useful construct for organising this growing body of work in HCI?

This workshop is motivated by the need to create a shared space to reflect, debate, and collectively shape the future of cross-sensory research in HCI.

Topics of Interest

We invite contributions engaging with topics such as:

Cross-sensory interaction as a theoretical or sensitising construct in HCI
Distinctions and overlaps between multimodal, multisensory, and cross-sensory interaction
Crossmodal correspondences, metaphors, and perceptual mappings
Designing with neuroplasticity and sensory substitution in mind
Engineering challenges for precise sensory control and coupling
Evaluation methods for cross-sensory experiences
Inclusive, accessible, and ethical dimensions of cross-sensory interaction design
Translating findings from psychology and neuroscience into HCI practice

Call for Participation

We welcome contributions that engage with the workshop themes and topics through practice, experimentation, design, engineering, or critical reflection. Submissions should aim to bring something into the workshop to work with: such as a method, prototype, artefact, or design approach, and to identify one or two questions or challenges for collective discussion around cross-sensory futures in HCI research.

We invite two types of submissions:

Statement of Interest (1–2 pages)
A concise description of your background, interests, and what you hope to explore or contribute to the workshop.
Position Paper (4–6 pages)
A more developed account of relevant research, design work, or theoretical perspective related to cross-sensory interaction.

Please consider including non-traditional formats, e.g. sketches, slides, videos, or posters, as accompaniments with your submission (you can upload multiple file formats at the same time below when you are sending your submission).

Submissions will be reviewed for relevance, diversity of perspectives, and potential to contribute to discussion.

Submission

Important dates