The Historical Development Of Hci

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Introduction

It is the basic and most important instinct of human life to improve the lifestyle of humanity. The computer we use today is not the same compared to the one we used 20 or 30 years ago. Today we not only use the computer to save data, but also we use it with other devices to enhance their performance, these devices are called HCIs

Task 1

Summarise the historical development of major advances in human –computer interaction technology over the years, giving different examples through HCI development stages

HCI (human-computer interaction) is the discovery of how people interact alongside computers and to what extent computers are or are not industrialized for prosperous contact alongside human beings. A momentous number of main firms and intellectual institutions nowadays discover HCI. Factually and alongside with some exclusions, computer arrangement developers have not paid much nowadays would say that computer makers are still not paying much attention to making their products "user-friendly." However, computer system developers could squabble that computers are tremendously complicated to design and create and that the demand for the services that computers can furnish has always outdrives the demand for ease-of-use.

Historical development of HCI

Built in 1943-45 at the Moore School of the University of Pennsylvania for the War effort by John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert but not delivered to the Army until just after the end of the war, the Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer (ENIAC) was the first general-purpose electronic digital computer. It was 150 feet wide with 20 banks of flashing lights and about 300 times faster than the Mark 1 at addition.  (http://www.columbia.edu/cu/computinghistory/eniac.html)

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/computinghistory/eniac7.gif

Vannevar bush 1945

 Memex is an electromechanical machine to save a big amount of articles in one machine and organize them in a way that a person could retrieve several articles or pictures on one screen and have the ability to make comments on them which could be stored and recalled again if needed.

Speech Recognizer (1952)

In 1952, as the US government-funded research began to gain momentum, Bell Laboratories developed an automatic speech recognition system that successfully identified the digits 0 to 9 spoken to it over the telephone. Major developments at MIT followed. In 1959, a system successfully identified vowel sounds with 93% accuracy. Then seven years later, a system that had a vocabulary of 50 words was successfully tested.

Davis, K., Biddulph, R. & Balashek, S. (1952). "Automatic recognition of spoken digits". The Journal of the Acoustic Society of America, 24(6), 637-642.

Mobile phone 1954

Martin Cooper earned a degree in electrical engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Later hired by Motorola in 1954, he lead a group of research team to develop the first ever portable phone, the Motorola Dyna Tac, which stands for Dynamic Adaptive Total Coverage. Weighing 1089 gram, the first commercially viable version of the Dyna Tac was released in 1983. It measures 9 x 5 x 1.75 inches in size with 30 circuit boards. Unlike handsets today, there was no display available and the only feature was call, dial and listen (what else would you expect?). The heavy batteries can only withstand 35 minutes of talk time and need a long 10 hour recharge.

J.R Licklider (1960)

J.C.R. Licklider could well be one of the most prominent people in the past of computer science. As Manager of the information Processing Techniques Office (IPTO), a separation of the Pentagon's Advanced Research Projects Agency(ARPA), Licklider from 1963-64 put in place the backing priorities that should lead to the Internet, and the conception of the "mouse," "windows" and "hypertext." Jointly these agents contain the foundation of our networked area, and it owes far of its attendance to the man who grasped the purse-strings, and additionally crafted a management sophistication where graduate students were left to run a multi-million dollar research project.

The major goals of J.C.R were

Time sharing

Electronic input/output

Real time systems

Speech recognition

Language understanding

Heuristic programming

Mid 1960’s

In 1960’s computers were too big, expensive and there were only a few people who could operate them. It was needed to increase he accessibility of the computers to the general public in long term and make them more efficient and affordable

Industrial robot (1961)

Though the concept of robot is old the first ever industrial robot was installed at a automobile factory called ( UNIMATE)

Sketchpad(1963)

 Sketchpad is considered to be the ancestor of modern computer-aided drafting (CAD) programs as well as a main breakthrough in the development of computer graphics in general. For example, the Graphic User Interface was derived from the Sketchpad as well as modern object oriented programming. Ivan Sutherland showed that computer graphics can be used for both artistic and technical purposes in addition to demonstrating a novel method of human-computer interaction.

File:Sketchpad-Apple.jpg

Douglas .E.Engelbart (1964)

Doug Engelbart invented the mouse in 1963 in his research lab at SRI International (then Stanford Research Institute), for which the patent was issued in 1970.

PC’s (personal computers)

A personal computer (PC) is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator. This contrasted with the batch processing or time-sharing models which allowed larger, more expensive minicomputer and mainframe systems to be utilized by countless people, normally at the same period. Large data processing systems require a full-time staff to operate efficiently.

Virtual reality (1989)

Virtual reality (VR) is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world, as well as in imaginary worlds. Most current virtual reality environments are primarily visual experiences, displayed either on a computer screen or through special stereoscopic displays, but some simulations include additional sensory information, such as sound through speakers or headphones. (www-vrl.umich.edu/intro)

TASK 2

Discuss with supported examples the current HCI application in different areas: technologies devices, systems and software/hardware tools. You need to show evidence how these applications meet different user needs (expert, regular, special needs age etc……)

Below are some examples of HCI applications

Projector

A projector is "a device that projects an image on a surface"

Most projectors create an image by gleaming a light across a tiny transparent image, but some newer kinds of projectors can undertaking the image directly, by employing lasers. A virtual retinal display, or retinal projector, is a projector that projects an image directly on the retina instead of using an external projection screen Modern projectors are tiny and handy, yet hold larger images than ever beforehttp://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/images_products/332.jpg

Projectors meet the different user needs and both experts and regular users can use it easily. People with special needs and different age groups can also use this device easily because all you have to do is connect to a computer and switch on the projector.

Advantages

Easy to install

Manuals are easy to understand

Low cost

Saves on further equipment

Saves on space

Mobile phone

A mobile phone (also known as a cellular phone, cell phone and a hand phone) is a device that can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile phone operator, allowing access to the public telephone network. By contrast, a cordless telephone is used only within the short range of a single, private base station.

( www.wikipedia.org)

http://www.celtnet.org.uk/mobile-phone/img/mobile-evolution.gif

When we discuss the different user needs then it does meet the user needs. Customers can use it very easily and there is no age limit therefore people from different age groups can use mobile phones

Advantages

You can carry it anywhere you go

Can be used worldwide

Have internet connection

Some have bonus features like camera’s and maps

Self checkout machine

Self-checkout machines provide a mechanism for customers to pay for purchases from a retailer without direct input to the process by the retailer's staff. They are an alternative to the traditional cashier-staffed checkout. They have been implemented most often in grocery stores and other large-scale stores. (www.wiki.org)

User needs

As this machine is designed to be used by normal customers it is easy understandable. Age limits are set according to content purchased and a beep would notify the user of an age limit for example in the purchase of alcohol and tobacco products. Id would need to be shown to the duty staff

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/IKEA_College_Park_self_checkout.jpg/220px-IKEA_College_Park_self_checkout.jpg

Advantages

reduced checkout time

create an illusion of privacy and anonymity

fast

reduced staffing

Cash Machine

A cash machine  is a computerized telecommunications device that provides the clients of a financial institution with access to financial transactions in a public space without the need for a cashier, human clerk or bank teller. ATMs are known by various other names including ATM machine, automated banking machine, "cash dispenser" (Germany) and various regional variants derived from trademark ATM systems held by particular banks.

The experienced and regular user will use this machine frequently for cash withdrawals and balance/instructions are also shown on the screen. Different age groups can use this machine. There different systems both software/hardware used in this machines for balance sheets and amount withdrawals and card process.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b1/ATM_750x1300.jpg/220px-ATM_750x1300.jpg

HCI is important for several reasons:

Quality of life. Vital applications of computers in medicine are probable only if they are both functional and easy to use by doctors, nurses, and aides; comparably, use of computers in education needs that they be both functional and easy to use by students and teachers. Computers can assist disabled individuals; and at the same time distinct methods are demanded to permit computers to be utilized by some who are disabled.

National competitiveness. Information technology is one of the drivers for increased productivity. As more extra operatives use computers in their jobs, training times and ease-of-use subjects come to be frugally more and more important.

Growth of the computer and communications industries. Powerful, interesting, and available requests are the fuel for tolerating development of these industries. The present development cycle is the direct consequence of the graphical user interface industrialized by Xerox and commercialized by Apple and Microsoft, and of the lower computer prices made possible by the microprocessor. The emerging mass marketplace supports commodity pricing for both hardware and software. Upcoming development cycles will in portion be driven by present HCI research, that will lead to new requests that are increasingly ease to use.

National security. Computer-based command, communication, control, and intellect systems are at the heart of our military infrastructure. Interfaces amid operators and computers are discovered in cockpits, on the bridge, and in the field. To be competent, these arrangements have to have high-quality human-computer interfaces.

Task 3

Managers and policy makers are more concern in influencing and reinforcing the incorporation of HCI in the workplace and enhancing the usability of the products and software applications

Discuss how HCI play a factor in the workplace to improve health and safety, enhance learning and training, boost workplace performance and motivate users

You could discuss different issues relating to :improved usability of software, specialized interfaces especially those for people with disabilities, specialized interfaces for use in hostile environments (hazards and risks) and varied working environments, and how HCI could support a workplace communications.

Here are some main reasons why HCI plays an important role in the workplace

Enhance learning and training

HCI plays an important role in learning and training with the use of projectors and easy guide techniques. Projectors are used for wide roles in training. Projectors meet the different user needs and both experts and regular users can use it easily. People with special needs and different age groups can also use this device easily. Another HCI device used for training is an IWB interactive white board. This is a large interactive display connected to display and project visual images. A projector projects the computer desktop on the IWB where from the users interact by using pens and fingers. This board is mounted on a wall and can save on space.

Improved Usability of Software

Today users on workplaces can use software with hardware to improve its usability. Today’s software is installed on various HCI devices to save time and increase performance. Example self checkout machines in supermarkets

Specialized interfaces with people with disabilities

There are a number of HCI devices that are used for people with disabilities. These devices are for daily assists with disability everyday lives. This can be seen in speech recognition software as an example. The software types itself without manually entering words.

Specialized interfaces with people with hostile environments

Special interfaces are designed for use in hostile environments to reduce the chance of hazards and risks. Example of this could be military night vision glasses which can be used by the armed forces to see better at night. Parking sensors are fitted on cars to reduce accidents

Health and Safety

HCI plays a very important role to increase health and safety at work. In cases where there is machinery operated manually there could be severe cases of health and safety. Today HCI devices are set up so the health and safety of workers is a major priority examples are seen in introduction of cut off systems and earth cable in cases of electrocution. For big machinery HCI can be used in terms of reduction of temperatures or electric supply regulations.

Varied working environments

Some HCI devices can be used for different workplace environments. For example ATM cards which we use for financial transactions can be used in varied environments. They have connected the software with the machine and all the machines carry similar procedures. When we out our card in the machine it automatically asks for security identification. The same security procedures can be used on other enviroments

HCI supports workplace communications

With the help of HCI devices employees and management can keep in touch with each other easily. For example smart phones can be used for easy communication emails etc

Conclusion: 

In conclusion, in the process of describing the current state of HCI and things to come I have shown that HCI has come a long way from the arcane interfaces of Unix through Virtual Reality, which promises to allow users to interact with computers in much the same way that they interact with the physical world. 

HCI is still a subjective and changing field.  The degree to which a goal or criteria is applicable changes from person to person and program to program. HCI is definitely a changing field and it will tolerate to change as computers and their uses change. It is an ever evolving field but it is always real to its one underlying target - to make the computer more approachable and more easy to use for the user.