HCI

The Technos Acxel Resynthesizer

"The Grapher is the machine's user interface and is what Technos flaunted in all of its ads. It's an arresting device, consisting of a vacuum-fluorescent display for status information and menus and a surface of touch-sensitive (capacitance-driven, I believe) nodules, 2114 of which contain LEDs. Yes, that's correct: over two thousand LEDs. The main array, the matrix, is 64 units across by 32 high. It is used to adjust spectra, envelopes, and waveforms. Above this is a row of 32 nodules which represent loop points; it is also used as a crude alphabetic keyboard when naming patches. Below the matrix is another row of 32 nodules that is used for selecting what elements of the synthesis architecture to enable or to select the current object to work with. These have a similar function to the four "layer" buttons on the JD-800.

On either side of the matrix are columns of nodules used to select the data the matrix displays, the operation mode, loading and saving of sounds, and so on. "
-Source

Music Thing post
Video demo

Douglas Engelbart: The Demo

"In 1963, Engelbart set up his own research lab. He called it the Augmentation Research Center. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s his mlab developed an elaborate hypermedia—groupware system called NLS (oNLine System). NLS facilitated the creation of digital libraries and storage and retrieval of electronic documents using hypertext. This was the first successful implementation of hypertext. NLS used a new device to facilitate computer interaction—the mouse. (The mouse was not adopted for general use until the 1980s when Apple computers began using them). NLS also created new graphical user interfaces implementing a windowing environment and allowed the user to e-mail other users as well as offering a variety of word processing options. Perhaps most remarkably, NLS also provided for on-screen video teleconferencing. All of these technologies, which are now ubiquitous, were truly astonishing to most back in the 1960s.

In 1968, at the Fall Joint Computer Conference in San Francisco, Engelbart demonstrated NLS in a 90 minute multimedia presentation that included a live video conference with staff members back in his lab 30 miles away. To this day, Engelbart's demo is still known as "the mother of all demos." It was truly groundbreaking, but Engelbart was way ahead of his time. His ideas were to different and new for others to fully grasp. Paul Saffo of the Institute for the Future said," "It [the demo] was like a UFO landing on the White House lawn." (Saffo in O'Brien). Some people in attendance thought the whole thing was a hoax."
- From ibiblio.org

Watch this amazing video demo. From the demo: "I don't know why we call it a mouse. Sometimes I apologize. It started that way and we never did change it." Also, take note of the crazy 5 key input device for text.

Myron Krueger's Responsive Environments

"Originally trained as a computer scientist, Myron Krueger, under the influence of John Cage's experiments in indeterminacy and audience participation, pioneered human-computer interaction in the context of physical environments. Beginning in 1969, he collaborated with artist and engineer colleagues to create artworks that responded to the movement and gesture of the viewer through an elaborate system of sensing floors, graphic tables, and video cameras.
At the heart of Krueger's contribution to interactive computer art was the notion of the artist as a "composer" of intelligent, real-time computer-mediated spaces, or "responsive environments," as he called them. Krueger "composed" environments, such as Videoplace from 1970, in which the computer responded to the gestures of the audience by interpreting, and even anticipating, their actions. Audience members could "touch" each other's video-generated silhouettes, as well as manipulate the odd, playful assortment of graphical objects and animated organisms that appeared on the screen, imbued with the presence of artificial life."
- ArtMuseum.net

some other links:
interface nyc
jtnitmoy.com
random ucla paper

Read "Responive Environments" by Myron Krueger in the New Media Reader

Human Computer Interaction In Science Fiction Movies

HCI and science fiction - my two loves.

"As a part of the seminar "Intelligent Spaces" approaches of mainstream science fiction motion pictures are extracted and analysed regarding their references in real-life human computer interaction (HCI) designs."

Website

Amal has two RFID implants, one in each hand.

"Amal has two RFID implants, one in each hand. His left hand contains a 3mm by 13mm EM4102 glass RFID tag that was implanted by a cosmetic surgeon using a scalpel to make a very small cut, into which the implant was placed. His right hand contains a 2mm by 12mm Philips HITAG 2048 S implant with crypto-security features and 255 bytes of read/write memory storage space. It was implanted by a family doctor using an Avid injector kit like the ones used on pets. He can access his front door, car door, and log into his computer using his implants, and has written a book called RFID Toys, which details how to build these and other RFID enabled projects."

Website

Graphical User Interface Library

A website devoted to the history of the GUI.

Alan Kay's Dynabook

The Dynabook was Alan Kay's vision for what we now know as the laptop (and tablet PC).

"The Learning Research Group at Xerox Palo Alto Research Center is concerned with all aspects of the communication and manipulation of knowledge. We design, build, and use dynamic media which can be used by human beings of all ages. Several years ago, we crystallized our dreams into a design idea for a personal dynamic medium the size of a notebook (the Dynabook) which could be owned by everyone and could have the power to handle virtually all of its owner’s information-related needs. Towards this goal we have designed and built a communications system: the Smalltalk language, implemented on small computers we refer to as “interim Dynabooks.” We are exploring the use of this system as a programming and problem solving tool; as an interactive memory for the storage and manipulation of data; as a text editor; and as a medium for expression through drawing, painting, animating pictures, and composing and generating music. (Figure 26.1 is a view of this interim Dynabook.) We offer this paper as a perspective on our goals and activities during the past years. In it, we explain the Dynabook idea, and describe a variety of systems we have already written in the Smalltalk language in order to give broad images of the kinds of information-related tools that might represent the kernel of a personal computing medium."

- Personal Dynamic Media (1977)

A comprehensive list of Alan Kay/Dynabook/Smalltalk, etc.. links

Natural Interaction

"Natural Interaction is the investigation of the relationships between humans and machines following this vision: we create interactive artifacts that respect and exploit the natural dynamics through which people communicate and discover the real world. "
...and their animations are pretty slick.

Website
Paper(pdf) - "The Design Of Natural Interaction"

Data Tiles

"The DataTiles system integrates the benefits of two major interaction paradigms: graphical and physical user interfaces. Tagged transparent tiles are used as modular construction units. These tiles are augmented by dynamic graphical information when they are placed on a sensor-enhanced flat panel display. They can be used independently or can be combined into more complex configurations, similar to the way language can express complex concepts through a sequence of simple words."

Please PLEASE watch the movie!!!

Website

Mechanical Overlays

Looks like Apple's kicking around a fun idea - "mechanical overlays" for multi-touch sensitive screen and keypads.