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At the root of many issues I think is interface design. I'm not just talking about software, I'm talking about hardware. Computers really haven't changed how we

At the root of many issues I think is interface design. I'm not just talking about software, I'm talking about hardware. Computers really haven't changed how we interact with them for a good, what, 30 years? Is the mouse and keyboard really the best ways to interact with a computing system? Why don't we have integrated HUDs in our glasses, all of our new cars (granted some like BMW have them optionally on expensive models), or even on clothes and/or accessories we wear? It would seem to me first that maybe we should rethink human-computer interaction in the first place.

incomethax 18y ago
I've been thinking the same thing. Some of the ways I think we can change the way this happens is by integrating multi-touch and gesture technologies and having a "double screen clamshell" design. I've seen designs like that around the internet, but I think that would be the way to go as a gradual move towards more natural human-computer interfaces.
danohuiginn 18y ago
Yes. Here's one user interface that should exist but doesnt: marionettes. An old-fashioned marionette lets the puppeteer control all four limbs, swivel the puppet, and move it in three dimensions - using only one hand. Connect that to a console and you have a killer game interface. Alternatively, pitch it at high-end CAD people, and all those little tech shops doing work for Hollywood. I have no hardware background, so no idea how tricky this is technically. But, conceptually, it seem like a no-brainer.
- robfitz 18y ago
  there were a couple working builds of this at georgia tech while i was there. they had one that was, in fact, a marionette. and one of the other fuzzwich guys (devin) built a similar thing using computer vision and hand puppets. both were hooked up to control characters in the unreal engine (primarily for machinima, but you could sorta play the game with it too). it's fun, fast, and kids adore it. so yea, definitely work being done in this area, and what has been made thus far is certainly compelling. nothing commercial that i know of, though.
  - danohuiginn 18y ago
    Fascinating, thanks. Here's a link I tracked down, in case anyone else is interested: http://synlab.gatech.edu/data/papers/mazalek_ace2007_tui3d.pdf http://synlab.gatech.edu/data/papers/mazalek_ace2007_tui3d.p...
    - robfitz 18y ago
      cool, glad you found something. for the sake of completion, here are some details & videos on the puppet show i mentioned: http://hailpixel.com/puppetshow/ http://hailpixel.com/puppetshow/

incomethax 18y ago

I've been thinking the same thing. Some of the ways I think we can change the way this happens is by integrating multi-touch and gesture technologies and having a "double screen clamshell" design. I've seen designs like that around the internet, but I think that would be the way to go as a gradual move towards more natural human-computer interfaces.

danohuiginn 18y ago

Yes. Here's one user interface that should exist but doesnt: marionettes. An old-fashioned marionette lets the puppeteer control all four limbs, swivel the puppet, and move it in three dimensions - using only one hand. Connect that to a console and you have a killer game interface. Alternatively, pitch it at high-end CAD people, and all those little tech shops doing work for Hollywood. I have no hardware background, so no idea how tricky this is technically. But, conceptually, it seem like a no-brainer.

robfitz 18y ago
there were a couple working builds of this at georgia tech while i was there. they had one that was, in fact, a marionette. and one of the other fuzzwich guys (devin) built a similar thing using computer vision and hand puppets. both were hooked up to control characters in the unreal engine (primarily for machinima, but you could sorta play the game with it too). it's fun, fast, and kids adore it. so yea, definitely work being done in this area, and what has been made thus far is certainly compelling. nothing commercial that i know of, though.
- danohuiginn 18y ago
  Fascinating, thanks. Here's a link I tracked down, in case anyone else is interested: http://synlab.gatech.edu/data/papers/mazalek_ace2007_tui3d.pdf http://synlab.gatech.edu/data/papers/mazalek_ace2007_tui3d.p...
  - robfitz 18y ago
    cool, glad you found something. for the sake of completion, here are some details & videos on the puppet show i mentioned: http://hailpixel.com/puppetshow/ http://hailpixel.com/puppetshow/