A 2016 paper co-authored by researchers from two MIT Media Lab groups has won the Lasting Impact Award at the ACM Augmented Humans (AHs) International Conference 2026, held at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology in Japan.

"Wearability Factors for Skin Interfaces" is a collaboration between Responsive Environments (Katia Vega, Joe Paradiso) and Fluid Interfaces (Xin Liu, Pattie Maes). The paper reviews the wearability factors impacting wearable devices — from clothing and accessories to sensors applied directly onto the body — and discusses them in the context of skin interfaces. The authors classify these factors in terms of body aspects such as location, movement, and body characteristics, as well as device aspects including weight, attachment methods, accessibility, interaction, aesthetics, and battery life.

The Augmented Humans International Conference focuses on the physical, cognitive, and perceptual augmentation of humans through digital technologies, with an emphasis on technologies that enhance human capabilities beyond the individual and have the potential for impact on a societal scale.