Craft technology is our term for the interweaving of computation with craft materials. This blending can take many forms, including the application of specialized software to aid in the design and construction of crafts (such as mechanical toys and paper sculpture) and in the creation of craft objects with embedded intelligence. Our particular interests lie in the educational realm―that is, we are especially interested in extending the landscape of children’s craft activities.

E-textile design and programming for children ― One of the most intriguing possibilities for computationally enriched crafts involves the area of fabric crafts; by combining new types of materials (including conductive thread) with accessible, small-scale processors, sensors, and actuators, we can introduce electronics and computation to children through the medium of textile crafts. With this in mind, Leah Buechley has designed a "construction kit" that students can use to create their own programmable clothing and textiles.

Designing popup cards in software ― Susan Hendrix has created an application called “Popup Workshop” that permits children (and adults) to design complex popup forms by using a “virtual sheet of paper” on the computer screen. The user can place a range of cuts and folds into the paper and see a 3D rendering of what the card will look like as it opens and closes. Once the user is satisfied with the result, the template may be decorated on the screen and output to a color printer; then the user can make the desired cuts in the paper and assemble a tangible popup creation.

Ambient programming ― Nwanua Elumeze has been designing a variety of innovative techniques for weaving computational media into environmental settings. His “Smart Tiles” are small, independently programmable cubes that may be assembled into larger arrays; the resulting collection of cubes can then cover a wall or flat surface with a programmable dynamic design. He also has been working on a wearable “button” that can be used to read programs directly from bar-code-like patterns on arbitrary surfaces.