Human Centered Interaction Developments Timeline

There have been several important developments in Human Centered Interaction (HCI) since the invention of Hypertext Transfer Protocol (http). These developments helped shape how we interact with computers and other technology today. Some of these inventions have brought about a new era of HCI and have opened up possibilities for the future. A very important development in HCI was the release of the first iPhone. According to an article written by Matthew Jones (2014), The iPhone was released in 2007. This new smart phone was the first to offer features such as the full touch screen QWERTY keyboard, a glass screen, and the ability to search the web like you could on a desktop.  The reason the creation of the first iPhone was so important is because it helped to shape the modern touch screen as well as the modern smartphone (Jones, 2014). The release of the first iphone changed how cell phones were used and how users interact with their phones today.

Another development in HCI was the release of the Wii game console in 2007. The reason this was so important to HCI was due to the fact that it changed how people could interact with game consoles. According to encyclopedia Britannica (Wii, 2017), the Wii was the first console to have a remote that got input not only from what buttons were being pressed but by the movement of the controller as well. This allowed users to play video games using natural physical actions instead of just pressing buttons—this was an important development to human centered interaction because it bridged the gap between physical actions and computers, thus allowing for users to interact in a way that allowed them to use more than just their hands. (Wii, 2017).

After the creation of the Wii another revolutionary device called the Microsoft Kinect was released. According to a review by Jeff Bakalar (2010), the Kinect was an accessory for the Xbox 360 console, and was released in 2010. It allowed for gamers to be play games without any controllers, and allowed gamers to use their bodies as the controllers. This was an important development in HCI because this was one of the first technologies commercially produced to offer full gesture-based input (Bakalar,2010). Helping us to take a step forward in gesture-based interaction technology.While these developments helped to shape HCI today we still have a long way to go. There are several advancements in HCI that will occur within the next decade.  These developments will shape how computers are designed, and how we will interact with them in the future.  A development that will occur in the years to come will be advancements in Augmented Reality (AR). According to an article written by Jesse Emspack (2018), AR doesn’t create a new environment like virtual reality but instead overlays the environment users are already in. This is an important future advancement as it will allow for interaction between not only the user but with the user’s surroundings as well. Allowing for users to interact not only with the technology itself but to have a more technological experience with their environment (Emspak, 2018).

Another important future advancement in HCI is the increased development and use of smart fabric. According to an article written by Rebecca Gaddis (2014), Smart fabric can be used within clothes so that it can receive input from the wearer and the wearer’s environment and then react to that input. This can be used for both creating color changing garments and help users with their athletic pursuits. The reason this is will revolutionize development is because it actually doesn’t really require the user to purposefully interact with the technology. Instead, the user’s body and environment interact for the user and provide the input necessary for the desired result—eliminating the need for the user to provide such input (Gaddis, 2014).

Another important advancement in HCI that will appear in the next decade is advancements in assistive technology. According to Encyclopedia Britannica (Cook & Grey, 2017), assistive technology is designed to help those who are disabled. This technology will help those who are disabled to be able to perform everyday task with ease. It will also allow for those who are disabled to participate in activities that they otherwise would not be able to participate in. I think this technology is an import advancement in HCI because it will allow for those who cannot wholly interact with their environment or cannot interact with existing technology to be able to better use technology to assist them with everyday tasks and will help improve their quality of life (Cook & Grey, 2017). The advancements we have seen since the development of Http helped to shape how people interact with technology today. And developments that we will see in the next decade will shape how we used and interact with the technology of the future.

 

References

Bakalar, Jeff. (2010, November 3). Microsoft Kinect Review. Retrieved from Cnet        website: https://www.cnet.com/reviews/microsoft-kinect-series-review/.

Emspak, Jesse (2018, June 1). What is Augmented Reality? Retrieved from Live science website: https://www.livescience.com/34843-augmented-reality.html

Gaddis, Rebecca. (2014, May 7). What is the Future of Fabric? These smart Textiles   Will Blow Your Mind. Retrieved from Forbes  website  :https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesstylefile/2014/05/07/what-is-the-future-of-fabric-these-smart-textiles-will-blow-your-mind/#36f59ec0599b

Gray, D. B., & Cook, A.M. (2017, November 13). Assistive Technology. Retrieved from  Encyclopedia Britannica website: https://www.britannica.com/science/assistive-technology.

Matthew, Jones. (2014, September 14). iPhone History: Every generation in order from 2007-2019. Retrieved from https://historycooperative.org/the-history-of-the-iphone/#The_Birth_of_the_iPhone

Nintendo Wii. (2017, January 23). In Encyclopedia Britannica online. Retrieved from Encyclopedia Britannica website: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nintendo-Wii.

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