Alternate Interface Technologies Emerge

By Kirk L. Kroeker

Researchers working in human-computer interaction are developing new interfaces to produce greater efficiencies in personal computing and enhance miniaturization in mobile devices.

Hardware engineers continue to pack more processing power into smaller designs, opening up an array of possibilities that researchers say will lead to human-computer interfaces that are more natural and efficient than the traditional hallmarks of personal computing. These smaller designs have given rise to new mobile platforms, where the barrier to further miniaturization no longer is the hardware itself but rather humans’ ability to interact with it. Researchers working in human-computer interaction (HCI) are dedicating effort in both areas, developing interfaces that they say will unlock greater efficiencies and designing new input mechanisms to eliminate some of the ergonomic barriers to further miniaturization in mobile technology.

(This article appeared in CACM, vol. 53, no. 2, Feb. 2010, pp. 13-15.)

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