Homework-2
- mohamedabdulgafoor
- Oct 8, 2020
- 7 min read
Updated: Oct 30, 2020
Lecture4: Present one HCI Researcher
Human Computer Interaction (HCI) is a study of design and usability of a computing system. The primary focus of this domain is the interaction between the users and computers. It also has an intersection between other domains such as computer science, cognitive science and human-factors engineering (Ref 1).
“We must design for the way people behave, not for how we would wish them to behave.”
― Donald A. Norman, Living with Complexity.
There are many research scientists working on the field of HCI. I would like to present Joanna McGrenere. She is a professor of Computer Science from the University of British Columbia. Her research are is Human-Computer Interaction, in particular, she focuses on Personalized User Interfaces, Universal Usability, Interactive Technologies for Older Adults, Computer Supported Cooperative Work, Qualitative and Quantitative Methodologies.
Her work on Age-related differences in the initial usability of mobile device icons was very compelling to me. When it comes to usability younger generation are very fast to adapt to mobile devices and its functionalities. However, the older population, i.e, adults above the age of 65+ are comparatively slow. In one of their works, J.McGrenere et al., explore the icon usability for older adults. In which it was found that in deed the older population have lots of issues with the current icon characteristics. That is, to understand and use it in a natural way like the younger generation. According to the study, the older population not only had difficulties to identify the icon objects but also interpreting the icon meaning itself. Moreover, the performance of the older adults were good if the semantically closer meanings were given to identify the abstract icon.
It is true that the most of the icon designers completely ignore the elderly population. But why?? We all agree that the designers in fact target kids and younger generation. The domain of HCI must be independent of the age, sexuality and races. Ignoring the elderly population in designing the interface must be avoided!! According to 2016 EuroStat, 19.2% of the EU population was aged 65 or over. Well this is also bad for the business in some sense. So the best way to solve this issue is to have icons that must be customizable to anyone.
Another work that inspired me was the about interface customization using a Mixed-Initiative approach. In which she utilizes cognitive modelling known as GOMS (Goals, Operators, Methods, and Selection) framework to analysis and to provide suggestion to users in hope to maximize the user's performance with the interface.
References:
Lecture5: Read the Ultimate Display by Ivan Sutherland
I will start with the sentence from the paper of Ivan, "A display connected to a digital computer gives us a chance to gain familiarity with concepts not realizable in the physical world". Display plays a major role in many scientific breakthrough. Nowadays, visualization of biological, physical and mathematical models are deeply integrated with the computing systems and display. A display connected to a computer is one of the ways by which scientists and engineers verify mathematical models.
Nowadays, computer displays and sketch pen are used to perform many complex tasks unlike simple dots and straight lines in 1960s. For example, creative pen display such as "Wacom One Creative Pen" made a huge contribution in the field of Art and digital creation, and it helps us to improve our digital life. This idea of sketch pen is an extra ordinary prediction of Ivan. It is amazing to read how he was able to predict how a computer can construct images made up of colored area. His prediction on area-filling capability of new display became true. For example, these days children use area filling paintings in computer display in kindergarten. When kids learn about computers, this is one of the primary tasks done by every children.
Moreover, it is interesting to learn about "touch typing". Like he predicted, it became a very common computer literacy, although not all computer users use touch typing, ie, to type without using sense of sight (only using finger position and touch sense). The "copy" and "paste" in the computer display has gone one step further now. One can simply do an augmented reality cut & paste. This is one of the fastest way to capture and transfer anything around us into the computer.
Video: AR cut & paste technology
So far we use only two of our senses to interact with the computers, sight and auditory. Even Ivan Sutherland cast doubts on to include the other senses, such as smell and taste on to a display. But the technology to reach smell and taste is not very far. There are basic prototypes already available. Like Ivan Sutherland predicted, in a VR game (for example) we use all our body, hands, legs, eyes etc to interact with the computer system.
Video: Taste simulator
What of his vision could potential become reality in the future ?
So far we control a computer, an input given by us helps to generate a 3D model in the computer display. But what is the ultimate display? What about if a computer display could control a 3D objects, which are tangible in the real world? In such an ultimate scenario, a surgeon would be able to do a complicated brain surgery from a different location than the location of a patient because that potential reality would allow us to manipulate objects in the real environment with the interaction of the virtual reality. The following cinematic video shows how the real world will behave if we could reach that reality.
Video: Credit goes to Rowena Harris
Of course if we want to manipulate the physical, tangible objects in a real environment the laws of physics should not be violated. I rephrase the idea of Ivan, A display connected to a digital computer helps us to visualize many possible universe, a different reality than the reality that we live in. But when it comes to the real world, only one way is possible. i.e, law of energy conservation, Newtonian laws can not be violated. For example, if I want to give a force of 10N to move an object on a frictional surface, an equal force is required if a computer display wants to control the real world object. This idea is already becoming a reality by synthesizing the fields of VR, AR, AI and robotics. The following video shows a Robot stacks supermarket shelves in Japan controlled by a person who is wearing an HMD with hand trackers.
Video: Robot Stacks Supermarket Shelves In Japan
There is also another possibility of ultimate display in which a computer display creates a 3D object, which is solid, tangible and indistinguishable from a real object. The laws of physics does not prevent such scenario. Because physicists have already figured out how to create matter using laser photons. Only the time is the factor here, the question of when?, not the question of possibilities.
References:
Lecture 6: Input Devices and Interaction Paradigms
In my opinion Head Mounted Display (HMD) design concept will fail most likely unless the design concept changes. HMD is a device that can be worn on the head, like a helmet. There are several fundamental issues with it.
First of all, it can not be worn in a shared social environment. It will be odd to wear an HMD in a public transport such as in a metro or level of acceptance by the public is an important factor we must consider. For example, if a person wear an HMD, her/his face would be obscured from the physical world, this might create a very dangerous, undesirable outcome. Imagine if a person trying to get down from a metro while wearing an HMD ;). It also prevent other people to communicate with the HMD user in a public environment. Another ethical issue is the HMD users will develop a self isolation, completely detach from the physical world. Well even ordinary gamers develop these kinds of psychological issues. Recently, the WHO officially recognized "gaming disorder" as a mental health condition — adding the disorder to the International Classification of Diseases (Ref: 4). But the virtual reality disorder would develop a severe psychological issues than the ordinary gaming disorder. One solution to over come this face obscured HMD is to redesign it using a transparent display system in which a user can choose to see the physical world or virtual world.
Figure: Work principle of an optical-see-through Head Mounted Display (Ref: 6).
Secondly, the existing commercially available HMD are heavier, and it creates fatigues to the users (Ref: 5). Weight plays a major role when it comes to adaptability of the current design. Wearing an HMD for a long period of time can create neck pain and eye fatigue. These kinds of fundamental issues have not been addressed well in the current design. Moreover, the existing commercially available HMD are not suitable for kids. Well there are adjustable belt by which one can adjust the diameter that fits into ones head. However, we have to take into account its weight use by different age group. For example, Oculus Rift, which is roughly 450-500g wear by an adult and a child age of 10 will not experience the same fatigue. A child will get tired quicker than the adult because of the ability to hold the weight on the forehead. There is also another issue that comes from the weight is that the HMD will not at rest with respect to the head. If there is a relative motion between head and HMD device, it will create eyestrain, focal issues etc.
At the end all these issues will be resolved by the advancement of material science and technology along with high performance computing power. A designer must resolve all the obstacle if the HMD device remains in the market for a quite long period of time.
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