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We introduce DissolvPCB, an electronic prototyping technique for fabricating fully recyclable printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs) using affordable FDM 3D printing, with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as a water-soluble substrate and eutectic gallium-indium (EGaIn) as the conductive material. When obsolete, the PCBA can be easily recycled by immersing it in water: the PVA dissolves, the EGaIn re-forms into a liquid metal bead, and the electronic components are recovered. These materials can then be reused to fabricate a new PCBA. We present the DissolvPCB workflow, characterize its design parameters, evaluate the performance of circuits produced with it, and quantify its environmental impact through a lifecycle assessment (LCA) comparing it to conventional CNC-milled FR-4 boards. We further develop a software plugin that automatically converts PCB design files into 3D-printable circuit substrate models. To demonstrate the capabilities of DissolvPCB, we fabricate and recycle three functional prototypes: a Bluetooth speaker featuring a double-sided PCB, a finger fidget toy with a 3D circuit topology, and a shape-changing gripper enabled by Joule-heat-driven 4D printing. The paper concludes with a discussion of current technical limitations and opportunities for future directions. 

We present BIOGEM, a fully biodegradable McKibben actuator with integrated sensing, made from gelatin-based composites. By tailoring the material compositions, we customize the mechanical and electrical properties of the biodegradable composites, creating an integrated biodegradable system that combines both actuation and sensing functionalities. BIOGEM integrates a McKibben actuating structure by using stiff gelatin as outer braiding and the stretchable gelatin as air chambers. It also integrates resistive strain sensing through ionic gelatin, allowing the actuator to monitor its own deformation without relying on conventional electronics. We characterize the actuator’s performance across key parameters including braid angle, wall thickness, and material stiffness, demonstrating reliable contraction and repeatable force output at low pressures. Biodegradation is validated through both enzyme-assisted and backyard soil studies, confirming the material’s sustainable end-of-life behavior under realistic conditions. We illustrate the potential of this platform through interactive, edible, and environmentally-degradable prototypes across human–computer interaction and soft robotics scenarios. 

As edge devices see increasing adoption across a wide range of applications, understanding their environmental impact has become increasingly urgent. Unlike cloud systems, edge deployments consist of tightly integrated microcontrollers, sensors, and energy sources that collectively shape their carbon footprint. In this paper, we present a carbon-aware design framework tailored to embedded edge systems. We analyze the embodied emissions of several off-the-shelf microcontroller boards and peripheral components and examine how deployment context—such as workload type, power source, and usage duration—alters the carbon-optimal configuration. Through empirical case studies comparing battery- and solar-powered scenarios, we find that the lowest-emission choice is often workload- and context-specific, challenging assumptions that energy-efficient or renewable powered systems are always the most sustainable. Our results highlight the need for fine-grained, system-level reasoning when designing for sustainability at the edge and provide actionable insights for researchers and practitioners seeking to reduce the carbon cost of future deployments. 

Passive RFID is ubiquitous for key use-cases that include authentication, contactless payment, and location track- ing. Yet, RFID chips can be read without users’ knowledge and consent, causing security and privacy concerns that reduce trust. To improve trust, we employed physically-intuitive design prin- ciples to create On-demand RFID (ORFID). ORFID’s antenna, disconnected by default, can only be re-connected by a user pressing and holding the tag. When the user lets go, the antenna automatically disconnects. ORFID helps users visibly examine the antenna’s connection: by pressing a liquid well, users can observe themselves pushing out a dyed, conductive liquid to fill the void between the antenna’s two bisected ends; by releasing their hold, they can see the liquid recede. A controlled evaluation with 17 participants showed that users trusted ORFID significantly more than a commodity RFID tag, both with and without an RFID- blocking wallet. Users attributed this increased trust to visible state inspection and intentional activation. 

Climate change demands urgent action, yet understanding the environmental impact (EI) of everyday objects and activities remains challenging for the general public. While Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) offers a comprehensive framework for EI analysis, its traditional implementation requires extensive domain expertise, structured input data, and significant time investment, creating barriers for non-experts seeking real-time sustainability insights. Here we present the first autonomous sustainability assessment tool that bridges this gap by transforming unstructured natural language descriptions into in-context, interactive EI visualizations. Our approach combines language modeling and AI agents, and achieves >97% accuracy in transforming natural language into a data abstraction designed for simplified LCA modeling. The system employs a non-parametric datastore to integrate proprietary LCA databases while maintaining data source attribution and allowing personalized source management. We demonstrate through case studies that our system achieves results within 11% of traditional full LCA, while accelerating from hours of expert time to real-time. We conducted a formative elicitation study (N=6) to inform the design objectives of such EI communication augmentation tools. We implemented and deployed the tool as a Chromium browser extension and further evaluated it through a user study (N=12). This work represents a significant step toward democratizing access to environmental impact information for the general public with zero LCA expertise. 

MCVT (Making Computing Visible and Tangible) Cards are a toolkit of paper-based computing cards intended for use in the codesign of inclusive computing education. Working with groups of teachers and students over multiple design sessions, we share our toolkit, design drivers and material considerations; and use cases drawn from a week-long codesign workshop where seven teachers made and adapted cards for their future classroom facilitation. Our findings suggest that teachers valued the MCVT toolkit as a resource for their own learning and perceived the cards to be useful for supporting new computational practices, specifically for learning through making and connecting to examples of everyday computing. Critically reviewed by teachers during codesign workshops, the toolkit however posed some implementation challenges and constraints for learning through making and troubleshooting circuitry. From teacher surveys, interviews, workshop video recordings, and teacher-constructed projects, we show how teachers codesigned new design prototypes and pedagogical activities while also adapting and extending paper-based computing materials so their students could take advantage of the unique technical and expressive affordances of MCVT Cards. Our design research contributes a new perspective on using interactive paper computing cards as a medium for instructional materials development to support more inclusive computing education. 

Mark Weiser predicted in 1991 that computing would lead to individuals interacting with countless computing devices, seamlessly integrating them into their daily lives until they disappear into the background. However, achieving this seamless integration while addressing the associated environmental concerns is challenging. Trillions of smart devices with varied capabilities and form-factor are needed to build a networked environment of this magnitude. Yet, conventional computing paradigms require plastic housings, PCB boards, and rare-earth minerals, coupled with hazardous waste, and challenging reclamation and recycling, leading to significant e-waste. The current linear lifecycle design of electronic devices does not allow circulation among different life stages, neglecting features like recyclability and repairability during the design process. In this position paper, we present the concept of computational materials designed for transiency as a substitute for current devices. We envision that not all devices must be designed with performance, robustness, or even longevity as the sole goal. We detail computer systems challenges to the circular economy of computational materials and provide strategies and sketches of tools to assess a device's entire lifetime environmental impact.