About | AnimalComputerInteractionLab

Photo by Patrizia Paci

Where we are

The ACI Lab is part of the School of Computing and Communications in the STEM Faculty of The Open University. It is located on the University's main Campus, in Milton Keynes, United Kingdom.

What we do

The Lab was founded in 2011 on a mission to advance the art and science of designing animal-centred interactive systems fit for a participatory multi species society. This mission underpins the fundamental aims of the ACI Lab’s research program:

Studying the interaction between animals and computing technology within the contexts in which animals habitually live, are active, and socialise with members of their own or other species, including humans, whether the interaction is direct or indirect, active or passive, synchronous or asynchronous, co-located or remote, individual or collective
Designing interactive technology to: a) improve animals’ well-being and longevity by facilitating the fulfilment of their needs and wants; b) support animals in their own activities or in activities they are involved in, by minimising any negative effects and maximising any positive effects on their well-being and longevity; c) foster intra-species and inter-species relations, including human-animal relations, by enabling communication and promoting understanding between parties
Developing animal-centred approaches, including frameworks and methods, to inform the design of technology for and with animals, as legitimate stakeholders and design contributors throughout all the phases of the design process and beyond.

Through our work we endeavour to develop ACI as a discipline and to make a difference in the real world. We believe that applied research is the best way of achieving both. Our research program comprises a series of applied projects, which tackle a variety of real life problems from a range of theoretical and methodological perspectives. We are especially interested in the design, methodological and ethical research challenges and innovation opportunities that arise when the boundaries of interaction research and design are extended to include multiple species. We are committed to demonstrating the potential that ACI has to contribute to the wellbeing of animals and humans, to social and multispecies justice, to interspecies cooperation and to sustainability.