SpaceCHI 3.0

A Conference on Human-Computer  Interaction for Space Exploration
June 22 -23, 2023 at MIT Media Lab

Space travel and becoming an interplanetary species have always been part of humanity’s greatest imaginings. Research in space exploration helps us advance our knowledge in the fundamental sciences, and challenges us to design new technologies and to create new industries for space, all while prompting us to answer the most fundamental questions about our place in the Universe. However, keeping a human healthy, happy and productive in space is one of the most challenging aspects of current space programs. Our biological body, which evolved in the Earth’s specific environment, is not designed to survive by itself in extreme conditions such as high radiation or low gravity (among other threats). Therefore, researchers have been developing different types of human-computer interfacing systems (HCI), which support a human body’s physical and mental performance in space. These Space HCI projects range from exoskeletons for supporting humans in low-gravity, to virtual and augmented reality systems for interplanetary exploration, and even zero-gravity musical interfaces for entertainment during the space mission. With advancements in aerospace engineering and the democratized access to space through aerospace tech companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin, space research is becoming more plausible and accessible. The dropping costs of space launches and cubesats enables new interdisciplinary research in art, design, science, and engineering in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and beyond. What was once an exclusive, expensive, and narrowly serious pursuit is now evolving to include a vast array of possibilities. Thus, there is now an exciting opportunity for researchers in HCI to contribute to the great endeavor of space exploration by designing new types of interactive systems and computer interfaces which can support human living in space and beyond.

SpaceCHI is in the process of becoming a new ACM SIGCHI conference. We aim for the accepted paper to be published in ACM Digital Library.

Suggested topics / areas:

On-body/Wearable Technology for Space Health
Human-Robot Interaction for Deep Space Mission
Interfaces for Human Expression in Space
Trust within Autonomous and Intelligent Systems
Cognitive load and Human Performance Issues
Computer-supported Cooperative Work
Augmented Reality/Mixed Reality
Smart Vehicle and Habitat
Digital Fabrication for Space Mission

Important Dates

Submission Deadline: May 5th, 2023
Decision: May 22, 2023
Early Bird Registration: May 26, 2023
Regular Registration: June 2, 2023
Camera-ready submission: June 5, 2023
Conference: June 22-23, 2023