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Understanding calm in the context of smart toys

Mark Lochrie et al.

Interacting with Computers2026https://doi.org/10.1093/iwc/iwag005article
AJG 2ABDC B
Weight
0.50

Abstract

Smart toys, which integrate sensing, processing, physical movement, sounds, and even internet connectivity, offer a range of new play opportunities. However, compared to traditional toys, current smart toy products can be limiting in the play they support, and they have received criticism for a range of reasons with calm being a potentially valuable design feature for smart toys. This work explores the application of a revised set of calm design principles applied in the context of currently available smart toy products in an expert evaluation inspection study. The specific focus of this paper is on understanding the challenges encountered by the evaluators in the study. This paper contributes four key recommendations valuable to researchers and practitioners conducting similar studies. These relate to the challenge of simulating play experience, the diversity of play context, the interpretation and understanding of principles, and the consideration of design intent vs. play experience. We propose “calm smart toys” as a strong concept that can potentially assist others interested in designing calm smart toys.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1093/iwc/iwag005

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@article{mark2026,
  title        = {{Understanding calm in the context of smart toys}},
  author       = {Mark Lochrie et al.},
  journal      = {Interacting with Computers},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1093/iwc/iwag005},
}

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Understanding calm in the context of smart toys

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.