Stephen Morrow
Vince Kocks
Reference Information
Nicolas Villar, Shahram Izadi, Dan Rosenfeld, Hrvoje Benko, John Helmes, Jonathan Westhues, Steve Hodges, Eyal Ofek, Alex Butler, Xiang Cao, Billy Chen,UIST’09, October 4–7, 2009, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
Summary
Again, this is another article dealing with multitouch interfacing with the computer. However, instead of the tablet interface that I have read for the last few papers, this one is focusing on mouse hardware that is using a multitouch type input. The article describes many different prototypes that have different approaches to the dexterious nature that humans naturally have and use quite often. Most of the approaches were a combination of a regular mouse and also using IR cameras or capacitive surfaces in order to track the fingers. This could then be used to interpret multitouch input simply from your hand resting on the mouse. A study was also done having participants try out the five prototypes. The users could use all the five mice and complete the tasks. Obviously some had their own stregnths and weaknesses.
Discussion
I think it is obvious that this is where the industry needs to go rather than having a touch screen for the desktop. If the desktop stays the same for the coming future then no one wants to have to hover their arm in the air in order to use a touch screen to interact with the computer. The mouse is perfect because it allows the user to rest their arm on a surface and use the computer comfortably. These new prototypes allow for touch screen type applications but simply by using the mouse. Apple actually has an interesting approach to this in that they are simply selling an oversized touch pad for the desktop. This is one way of going about it.
I think touch inputs are where computers are headed in the future, but I think this might be a good iterative step towards that design. Being able to have the advantages of multitouch on the mouse would be useful so that you can interface with the new inputs a lot of programs offer.
ReplyDeleteThe main issue I see is the same issue that all touch devices suffer: feedback. Haptics just aren't good enough to make up for physical buttons, so a step needs to be made in that direction to make touch devices better.