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> People are used to gently flicking computer mice and grazing keyboards and tablet screens; do they really have the stamina to reach into their computers and f
by arocks 14y ago
> People are used to gently flicking computer mice and grazing keyboards and tablet screens; do they really have the stamina to reach into their computers and flail their arms around?
That's not the key question. Traditional interfaces have some sort of physical contact. Moving from physical keys to touch screen removed most of the tactile feedback. But still many phones simulate it via haptic vibrations.
Imagine trying to grasp an object in the air purely out of visual feedback. I would imagine it to be extremely strenuous especially in 3D space. Unless there is a breakthrough sci-fi skin which can simulate this tactile feedback, we would be, quite literally, hand-waving in the air.
- quarterto 14y agohttp://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Codex/Technology#Computers:_Haptic_Adaptive_Interface http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Codex/Technology#Computers:...
- ferongr 14y agoMass Effect "lore" tries to justify graphical rule of cool (displays projected into thin air with a few shades of orange as their only colors etc.). I wouldn't take it seriously as something exploring the practicality of such things.
- hdra 14y agoI personally feel that the problem is not that of having a tactile feedback. While I don't think it can replace mouse/keyboard, I don't see too much of a problem of it replacing touchscreens. The problem with most of the existing gesture based interfaces is that they are interacting with the interface in an indirect way, as in the gestures are used control something like a pointer on the screen, and users have no way to see how they are positioned relative to the interface they are interacting with. If they are used in ways similar to a touch screens, I think it would be pretty natural, without too much hand-waving in the air.
- stephengillie 14y agoStar Trek touchscreens have the same problem.
- jpalomaki 14y agoMaybe it would be possible to fake the tactile feedback by using some visual aid? There have been experiments where people "feel" things that are happening to a fake hand ([1] and [2]). If you have an augmented reality setup maybe some visual effects applied to your hand would be translated into feelings. [1] http://bodyodd.nbcnews.com/_news/2011/02/24/6118219-need-a-hand-scientists-convince-people-they-have-3-arms?lite http://bodyodd.nbcnews.com/_news/2011/02/24/6118219-need-a-h... [2] http://www2.psych.ubc.ca/~ennslab/Vision_Lab/Publications_files/80_Austen_etal_CABN04.pdf http://www2.psych.ubc.ca/~ennslab/Vision_Lab/Publications_fi...
- vellum 14y agoThere have been some experiments with using ultrasound to provide haptic feedback. http://gizmodo.com/5044624/ultrasound-haptic-devices-can-project-tactile-shapes-into-thin-air http://gizmodo.com/5044624/ultrasound-haptic-devices-can-pro...