Monday, January 19, 2009
Touch Screen Interaction in Public Spaces: Room for Improvement if "Every Surface is to be a Computer"!
With Win7's "multi-touch" capabilities, Bill Gate's statement that every surface will be a computer might come true, but from what I can see, we have a long way to go before we get it right!
One of the concerns I have about "touch" screen interaction in public spaces is that not much thought is given to the environmental factors surrounding the system. The system that is tested for the first time after installation might work just fine, but not when it is put to use under a variety of conditions or situations.
EXAMPLES (I've recycled a few of these from previous posts.)
Below is a shot of my husband, trying to see what is on the screen. This photo shows exactly what the screen looked like at the time:
The next picture tells it all. You can see that there is some sort of alphabet on the right side of the screen, but the reflection of my husband is easier to see. We couldn't figure this one out.
The following clip demonstrates how environmental concerns, such as wind and "sideways" rain, can make an interactive display at a shopping center difficult to use. During this clip, you can hear me muttering about the difficulties I had interacting with the information on the touch-screen display. It is possible that the system wasn't working well because of the exposure to the elements.
In my opinion, an interactive wayfinding application should run on a larger display and support two or more people, since many hospital visitors often run in pairs or small groups.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Cross Post: More Muti-touch, Windows 7 demo on a Dell Laptop
Video: Multi-Touch in Windows 7
Via SoapBox, Greenbush Labsand CNET
If you are new to this blog and would like to learn more about multi-touch interaction and technology, enter a keyword in the search box.
Also take a look at the Interactive Multimedia Technology blog.
For multi-touch DYI, check out the NUI Group!
Cross posted on
Friday, May 23, 2008
Multitouch LaserTouch from Microsoft, Andy Wilson, Innovation..
I've been a Mac person since 1985, but I've warmed up to Microsoft a bit over the years. Microsoft Research is involved in many creative endeavors, despite how the company is personified by "PC" in Apple's MAC/PC commercials.
Ever since I had a chance to get my hands on an interactive whiteboard, I've been fascinated by large multi-touch and multi-user displays, and this fascination was part of my motivation to take graduate-level computer/IT classes at mid-life!
After spending an entire semester working on large touch-screen projects last year, Microsoft unveiled the Surface, which is not within my reach. Now that Bill Gate's mantra is "every surface to be a computer", there might be hope for people like me.
Via CNET news 8/14/08: "During his keynote Wednesday at the CEO Summit, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates shows off TouchWall, a 4-foot-by-6-foot touch-screen computer prototype."(Credit: Microsoft)
Microsoft Research's Andy Wilson developed the software for the LaserTouch prototype. Andy is a member of the Adaptive Systems and Interaction group.
The system will be less expensive than the Surface, but it is not yet ready for the masses:
Via CNET: "Andy Wilson, a researcher from Microsoft Research's Redmond, Wash., campus, demonstrates LaserTouch. An infrared camera tracks how he touches the screen to prompt a response from the software." (Credit: Stefanie Olsen/CNET News.com)
Related:
InfoWorld Article about TouchWall CNET TouchWall Article
InfoWorld Article about LaserTouch CNET LaserTouch Article
Natural User Interface - Innovative Multi-touch Solutions
NextWindow NextWindow Videoclips
Shahram Izadi's Research Website
TouchLight: An Imaging Touch Screen for Gesture-Based Interaction pdf
Interacting with Wall-Sized Screens pdf
The Large-Display User Experience pdf
IEEE Tabletops and Interactive Surfaces 2008 Conference Website
October 1-3, the Netherlands
Note: For those of you new to this blog, I've posted quite a bit about multi-touch displays, Microsoft's Surface table, urban screens and interfaces over the past year or so on the TSHWI and Interactive Multimedia Technology blogs. Also see the links on this blog's sidebars.
