Laura / She / Her
Laura Cortés-Rico
I am a PhD student in Information Science at Cornell University. My research revolves around the critical and participatory design and production of digital technologies with social and environmental filters. Situated in the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and drawing insights from Science and Technology Studies (STS), my work has mainly focused on the design of plural technologies (frequently, textile and electronic) in historical memory and peacebuilding contexts. I have a growing research interest in the ontologies, histories, and implications of machine listening systems.
I am an Electrical Engineer from Universidad Nacional de Colombia and a Magister in Systems Engineering and Computing from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. Before coming to Cornell, I worked in Colombia as an assistant professor for six years in Multimedia Engineering at Universidad Militar Nueva Granada. Beyond my academic pursuits, I co-founded and serve as the CTO of PiCoLab, a Colombian company specializing in the production of interactive experiences for museums.
Teaching
2022-2023
Physical Computing
Human-computer interaction (HCI) requires the digital identification of physical actions and states and materializing digital information in movements, temperature, lights, sounds, vibrations, etc. Physical computing is a series of techniques and tools to achieve these information and data exchanges, using embedded software elements to process the information and hardware components to translate physical signals into different forms. This elective explores physical computing to create interactive experiences, objects and environments with physical and digital features.
Artificial Intelligence
This course allows the student to holistically conceive computational intelligence methods (classical and modern) to solve problems with artificial systems and processes. This class presents the algorithms, techniques and methods of AI, and opens the debate about how we have understood human intelligence and how this comprehension overlaps with the creation of synthetic systems.
Portfolio
Tree Ring Player
2024
Interactive Experiences
Magma Museum
2022
Interactive Experiences
WiP Soft2Soft
2022
Software & Hardware
WiP SensorMov
2021
Software
Between Colored Threads
2021
Software
Col. National Museum
2021
Interactive Experiences
Bubble App
2020
Software & Hardware
Textiles Testimoniales
2019
Mobile Apps and Web
Telecommunications Museum
2018
Interactive Experiences
Tribuka
2017
Mobile Apps and Web
Crochet
2017-...
Craft
CalaITU
2014
Software
Embroidery
2014-...
Craft
Kuika
2013
Video Game
Quimispace
2013
Interactive Experiences
Misión Bicentenaria
2011
Video Game
Chronos
2010
HardwarePublications
Journal Papers
2023
C. Urdaneta, J. Rodríguez-Almanza, & L. Cortés-Rico «SensorMov, biblioteca nativa para interacciones tangibles con dispositivos Android», TecnoLógicas, 26(56), e2446. https://doi.org/10.22430/22565337.2446
2021
L. Cortés-Rico & T. Pérez-Bustos «Objeciones textiles: Interferencias y activismo textil-digital», Cadernos Pagú, 59, 1–34. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/18094449202000590007
2019
L. Cortés-Rico & G. Piedrahita-Solórzano, «Interacciones basadas en gestos: revisión crítica», in TecnoLógicas, vol. 22, pp. 119-132, dic. 2019, doi: 10.22430/22565337.1512.
2015
R. A. González Rivera, L. Cortés-Rico, T. Pérez-Bustos, & M. Franco-Avellaneda, «Embroidering engineering: a case of embodied learning and design of a tangible user interface», in Engineering Studies, vol. 8, n.º 1, pp. 48-65, ene. 2016, doi: 10.1080/19378629.2016.1170839.
Book Chapters
2025
Pérez-Bustos, T., Cortés-Rico, L., & Botero, A. (2025). Reconciliation Through Digital Textiles. In Routledge International Handbook of Contemporary Participatory Design. Routledge.
2012
Cortés Rico, L., & Becerra, L. (2012). Educación en tecnología con robótica cooperativa. In Robótica Cooperativa. Experiencias de Sistemas Multiagente [SMA] (pp. 185–206). Pontificia Universidad Javeriana.
Magazine Articles
2021
L. Cortés-Rico, «Hand in hand: A situated reflection about knowledge mobilization between textile and digital», Interactions, 28(2), 42–47. https://doi.org/10.1145/3449784
2020
L. Cortés-Rico, «Hacia una sociedad superinteligente», SISTEMAS, n.º 154, pp. 8-12, mar. 2020, doi: 10.29236/sistemas.n154a2.
2019
L. Cortés-Rico & T. Pérez-Bustos, «The art of fieldworking together», Interactions, vol. 26, n.º 6, pp. 80-82, oct. 2019, doi: 10.1145/3365534
M. Ortíz-Acosta, L. Cortés-Rico & T. Pérez-Bustos, «Making sense of reconciliation through digital corporeal narratology». in Revista Innovación y Ciencia, XXVI(2), Ciencia, paz e inclusión social.
Conference Papers
2022
Strohmayer, A., Cortés-Rico, L., Pérez-Bustos, T., Psarra, A., Rosner, D., Subasi, Ö., Posch, I., Nabil, S., & Sherman, J. (2022). «Justice-oriented Participatory Electronic Textile Making: Fostering shared spaces of knowledge dialogues through the process of making, un-making, and re-making justice-oriented participatory praxis». Proceedings of the Participatory Design Conference 2022 - Volume 2, 259–262. https://doi.org/10.1145/3537797.3537880.
Latorre-Rojas, C. J., Rozo-Torres, A., Cortés-Rico, L., & Sarmiento, W. J. (2022). «Heart-In-Hand, swapping point of view for immersive navigation in medical cardiology». 2022 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces Abstracts and Workshops (VRW), 908–909. https://doi.org/10.1109/VRW55335.2022.00305.
2021
Cortes-Rico, L., & Rodriguez Almanza, J. (2021). «SensorMov, mobile devices as/for tangible user interfaces». X Latin American Conference on Human Computer Interaction, 1–3. https://doi.org/10.1145/3488392.3488409.
Melo Betancurt, M. J., Rincón-Saavedra, Y., Cortés-Rico, L., & Rozo-Torres, A. «Soft2Soft: Toolkit for the Digital Recognition of Textile Gestures», C. Stephanidis, M. Antona, & S. Ntoa (Eds.), HCI International 2021—Posters (pp. 30–36). Communications in Computer and Information Science, vol 1420. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-78642-7_5.
Cabezas, H., Casanova, N., Cortés-Rico, L., & Sarmiento, W. J., «Homemade XR: Enriching conversations and shortening social distancing», 2021 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces Abstracts and Workshops (VRW), 679–680. https://doi.org/10.1109/VRW52623.2021.00222
2020
Cortés Rico, L., Patarroyo, J., Pérez-Bustos, T., & Sánchez-Aldana, E. (2020). «How can digital textiles embody testimonies of reconciliation?» Proceedings of the 16th Participatory Design Conference 2020 - Participation(s) Otherwise - Volume 2, 109–113. https://doi.org/10.1145/3384772.3385137
Casanova, N., Cabezas, H., Céspedes, A., Araque, D., Ospina, D., Garzón-Morales, E., Cortés-Rico, L., & Sarmiento, W. J. (2020). «Touch Live. An immersive experience for acting in others’ bodies». 2020 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces Abstracts and Workshops (VRW), 507–508. https://doi.org/10.1109/VRW50115.2020.00105
2019
Rincón-Saavedra, Y., Garzón-Morales, E., & Cortés-Rico, L. (2019). «Learning through designing, designing through doing». Proceedings of the IX Latin American Conference on Human Computer Interaction, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1145/3358961.3358983
Patarroyo, J.,Cortés-Rico, L., Sánchez-Aldana, E., Pérez-Bustos, T., & Rincón, N. (2019). «Testimonial digital textiles: Material metaphors to think with care about reconciliation with four memory sewing circles in Colombia». NORDES 2019, Finlandia.
2015
Cortés-Rico, L., & Flórez-Valencia, L. (2015). «Notation proposal for modeling tangible user interfaces». 10th Computing Colombian Conference (10CCC), 200–205. https://doi.org/10.1109/ColumbianCC.2015.7333432
Cortés-Rico, L., & Piedrahita-Solórzano, G. (2015). «Participatory design in practice: The case of an embroidered technology». Lecture Notes in Computer Science vol. 9298.
Personal
Volunteer
-
Chicas STEAM 2021
Mentor in the program Chicas STEAM. I participated in 7 mentoring meetings aimed at girls and young people between 12 and 15 years of age in the national territory to make visible the role of women in the STEAM areas, their contributions to different fields of action and the options of higher education in such areas.
-
Science Clubs Colombia 2017
With Jaime Herrán , we planned and developed the science club Bicihack in the third edition of Science Clubs Colombia. Held in Zarzal, Valle del Cauca, Colombia, this one-week workshop was aimed at motivating the interest of children and young from the region to science, using the bike as a common technical artefact to hack while experimenting with some scientific and technological concepts.
Collectivities
- Artesanal Tecnológica We are a feminist, intergenerational and interdisciplinary sewing circle/collectivity/lab. We are interested in the dialogues between artisanal textile making and digital technologies, looking for material and political encounter points. All this from a feminist eye. We reflect. Mend. Laugh. Share.
- Amautas Huarmis Collectivity of Argentine and Colombian women related to multiple disciplines of scientific knowledge. We are interested and committed to science divulgation and public communication with a gender approach. We are motivated by contributing to the visibility of the role of women in science, to deconstruct the established image in the collective unconscious about scientists, and to awaken scientific vocations from an early age. A great example of Amauta's work is the book Grandes Mujeres en Pocas Palabras
- Centro de Pensamiento para el Fortalecimiento del Liderazgo y Empoderamiento de la Mujer Colombiana en STEM It seeks to strengthen the leadership and empowerment of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) through discussion spaces for the development of public policies.
Hobbies
- Novice Climber
- Diving Advanced Open Water PADI
- Crafting Embroidering, Croché, Knitting
- Books Reading and short creative writings [in spanish]
Contact
Bogotá, Colombia
laura <at> cortes-rico.com