Cati Vaucelle is a researcher and interaction designer specializing in the design of hybrid physical/digital objects for play, performance and psycho-physiotherapy. She creates tactile interfaces to shift the body boundaries and explores the powers of “holding” (from grabbing, to hugging, to being secured) as a lever to personal growth. Cati is the author of over thirty peer-reviewed academic publications. Her work has been featured in various internationally recognized design, art and sciences publications including the I.D. Magazine Annual Design Review and the New Scienstist, and on blogs such as Engadget, CNET news, Switched, TechDigest, Make, Dvice, Forbes, Discovery Channel, WoW Insider, Kotaku, Gizmodo and We Make Money Not Art.

Trained as a computer scientist, Cati also studies and practices electrical engineering at MIT since 2000 that she directly applies to her interaction design work. Cati is a 2008 Rockefeller Foundation New Media Fellow Nominee, and 2005 John F. Kennedy Scholar for her studies at Harvard University. She is currently a researcher and Ph.D. candidate in the Tangible Media Group at the MIT Media Lab. She graduated from MIT in 2002 and then from Harvard University in 2006.

While in France, Cati received dual degrees in computer science (computational linguistics, AI) and applied math (economics concentration), with a minor in fine arts (photography). She also received a master’s in computer science (researching graphic design) and the French equivalent of an MFA (visual arts). In the US, she received master’s degrees from the MIT Media Lab and from Harvard Graduate School of Design in product design.

An interview: We Make Money Not Art.
Her blog: Architectradure where she discusses Seamless Technology in Design.
Her MIT web site.

Cati can be contacted at: cati [at] media [dot] mit [dot] edu