10 Human Computer Interaction Examples

1. Hotel: Front Desk Operations

The major brands of hospitality industry are interested in clearing long check-in/checkout
lines in hotel lobby by introducing the new ideas of paperless check-in, self-service kiosks,

and even the online web check-in systems. Many people may remember the big board behind

the front desk with all the room numbers on board and keys on chains before hotels have

computer systems. The paper-based check-in is time consuming and inefficient. Nowadays,

people have seen a lot of innovations happened to the hotel lobby where new technologies

constantly implemented. One important change is the installation of computerized check-in

system. Date back to early 1970s, the Westin Hotels and Resorts (then Western International

Hotels) developed their own computerized reservation system named “Westron” which became

the industry standard in subsequent years (Hospitality Technology Consulting, 1995/1996).

With the computerized reservation systems, hotel front desk can easily check the resource of the

hotel reservations, record guests’ information, and check available rooms. Tourists can easily

book hotel rooms through online travel companies and booking systems. This also allows hotels

to spend less on expensive labor costs and to maximize room occupancy without wasting a lot of

money on advertising. Moreover, it allows hotels to get efficient and rapid feedback form guests,

so that hotels could predict the guests’ preference and give them customized service.

Starwood first implemented paperless check-in system globally that relies on credit card

swipes rather than signed registration cards in 1999. It takes less than one minute to help a guest

check into the hotel (Giannak, 2004). The other reason that hotels use paperless is to reduce

paper waste. For example, Kerry Hotel, Pudong, Shanghai introduced paperless check-
in/checkout system recently. Guests will use stylus pen to sign on a tablet to complete check-in
and

check-out with the electronic receipts emailed upon check-out from the hotel (Haridasani, 2012).
However, the old computerized check-in/check-out systems used for hotel front desk in

today’s world are not efficient enough to satisfy hotel guests because people are still

experiencing with crowed tourists who waiting in long lines in hotel lobbies. It still needs

employees to interact with the machine when guests have to wait in lines. To solve this problem,

self-service kiosk has been introduced to hotel lobbies in recent years. Hilton implemented

about 100 self-service kiosks in its hotels in the year of 2004 (Giannak, 2004). The check-

in/check-out kiosks help hotel guests to view their reservation and to get the room key; by the

end of their stay, guests could also view and confirm their bill and print the receipt (Avery,
Good,

Harper, Fincher, & Grove, 2008). These hotel check-in/check-out kiosks increase guests’

satisfaction by reducing waiting time. In addition, the kiosks are usually connected to hotels

own technology platform, allowing guest service agents to provide their guests with value-added

services according to their preference. Moreover, with the self-service kiosks, employees’

effectiveness can be maximized because the staff would have more time to provide personalized

customer service (Avery et al., 2008).

Hilton was also the first one to offer airline kiosks in hotel lobbies in 2004 to enable hotel

guests to print boarding passes. The guests can view the airline websites to check in their flights,

change seats, and request upgrades by using these kiosks (Giannak, 2004).

Besides the self-service kiosks, a mobile phone check-in system and web-based check-in

system are more and more popular among many hotels. Hilton provided mobile check-in system

to their loyal guests in 2010; Starwood distributed the radio frequency identification (RFID)

keycards to loyalty customers, so that the guests can directly go to the room using card sensor on

the doorknob to unlock their room; InterContinental introduced a program that customers can

scan an emailed barcode contained in their phone to the door’s sensor for entry (Yu, 2010).

Radisson allowed their guests to check into any of its branded hotels through internet seven days
before arrival (Giannak, 2004).

2. Hotel: Room Division

The innovation of HCI in hotels rooms or housekeeping department has been around for

many years to please hotels guests. One change related to hotel check-in is the use of room

keycards. The early hotel room keys were made of brass or bronze along with metal tags. But

this kind of keys were heavy to carry and easy to duplicate, thus increased the possibility of

illegal break-ins. Some guests even kept the keys as souvenir thus increased hotel costs to make

those keys. In order to prevent burglaries, larger hotels such as Marriott start to use electronic

key cards in late 1990s, which enhanced room safety for guests (Beck, 2007). The e-keycards

have a magnetic strip which coded by hotel check-in computers and valid for one lock per stay.

Although with the same key card, a new guest will have a different code that distributed by

computer system. Thus, it is nearly impossible for burglar and illegal break-ins by duplicating a

card (Jump, 1998). One of the electronic key cards systems help hotels significantly reduces

energy waste by using room key cards switch that located at the main entry door. When guests

take out the key cards and left hotel room, the light will power off automatically. Also, the

guests will never worried about losing track of their key cards again since they needs their key

cards to power the lights (Lighting Controls Association, 2007).

However, some drawbacks of electronic key cards system caused inconvenient to hotels

and guests. First, the key cards are easily demagnetized when put near by cell phones or other

magnetic strip cards. Second, sometimes the key cards do not work when they encoded

incorrectly or swiped the wrong way. Third, the locks won’t open when they are out of batteries

(Kohler, 2012). Moreover, guests worried about ID theft when their private information is

encoded (Bosworth, 2006). In order to provide more convenience, some hotels start to try new

room key programs, such as smart phone check-in program. This program integrates check-in

procedure and room key system. Guests can just scan the barcode contained their phone on the
door sensor to unlock the door instead of using a real key (Yu, 2010). However, this is still not

an ideal room key especially when guests lost their phones.

With hotel guests expecting a luxury home experience, hotel operators complete premium

accommodation with installation of high technology in rooms. For example, the Aria Resort &

Casino Las Vegas installs the Control4 system, a remote control system displayed by room touch

panel. Guests can control everything with just one-touch. Guests can play audio through

connecting personal media devices to audio/visual connection panel; adjust room temperature

and lights; request cleaning services; view room bills and check-out; check flight schedule; open

or close the curtains in room; and set up a customized wake-up event such as wake up by

opening the curtains or turning on the lights at a specific time (Home Theater Review, 2009).

3. Restaurant: Food Ordering

Similar as hotels, restaurants are also constantly introducing new technology. Although

people experienced with face-to-face interaction when ordering food in most restaurants, some

fast food restaurants such as McDonald’s and Jack-in-the-Box installed self-service food

ordering kiosks several years ago. The self-service food ordering kiosk is based on computer

system that allows customers to order food directly and to pay checks themselves, using a touch

screen with no employees involved (Tanneeru, 2010). After an order is placed, customer would

wait for the order number to be called to get the meal. According to Fox News (2004),

McDonald’s has introduced such kiosks in the year of 2004, reducing the ordering waiting lines.

Jack-in-the-Box also offered self-service kiosk in 2010 not only to reduce the waiting line but

also to cut labor cost (Shulman, 2010).

The online food ordering website allows customer to place an order with a local

restaurant or a food cooperative (Wiki, 2012). Some of these service websites make frequent

ordering convenient by encouraging customers to keep accounts with them. Many restaurants

use their own websites providing online food ordering as an alternative to help them provide
more convenience to customers and expand business. For example, Pizza Hut in 2007 offered

online ordering that allows customers to create “pizza playlists” with their favorite pizza orders

for future visits (PizzaMarketPlace, 2007); Papa John’s International announced that its online

sales were growing from $21.4 million in 2001 to $400 million in 2007, a big increase (Kuban,

2008).

With growing trend of using iPad, some restaurants are also considering using iPads to

order food. For instance, at Chicago Cut Steakhouse, Chicago, servers carry iPads with wine

menus, containing detailed introductions and images of the products. Servers at Jose Garces’

Jaleo at the Cosmopolitan Hotel, LasVegas, also use iPads for wine and cocktail menus (Levin,

2011).

A more recent innovation of food ordering solution introduced is restaurant e-tablets,

such as MenuPad and eTab software. It allows customers to order and to pay at their tables

through the touch screen computer. ETab uses a digital-menu interface wirelessly connect table

to the restaurant’s staff and point-of-sale system (Hospitality Technology, 2011). It gives

customers comprehensive understating of menu by providing abundant pictures of varies dishes;

lets customers control ordering and paying time; and reduces restaurant order errors. In addition,

the system accepts either cash or credit card payment and allows splitting bills, with receipts

directly emailed or printed for customers (Liddle, 2011). Moreover, restaurant could easily

remove or add items to menus according to operation needs.

4. Restaurant: Shift Scheduling

Scheduling employees’ work shifts perhaps annoy many restaurant managers, who may

spend a lot of time on it but still get unsatisfied employees. However, there are some software

such as RestaurantScheduler (2010) which helps restaurant managers schedule employees’ shifts

efficiently at work or home at anytime. The software adopts drag-and-drop technology that

allows managers quickly drag and drop employees on the specific shifts and easily change
schedules. It can also automatically assign employees to available shifts. Moreover, it reduces

communication errors between managers and employees by providing an online platform to

record the employees’ special request for managers (RestaurantScheduler, 2010).

5. Casino: Gaming technology

The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas opened in December of 2010 with sbX Experience

Management System, a server-based slot gaming system developed by International Game

Technology (IGT) (Stratton, 2010). Before sbX, casino slot technicians would spend hours

going from one machine to another and individually change computer chips and slot machine

theme programs. With sbX system, casino operators can easily download variety of game

themes from the sbX sever network to individual electronic gaming machine. In addition, the

system can distinguish the most popular games on the floor by tracking playing data from each

machine and player. With the analyzed data reports, casino can effectively advertise to the target

slot machine players

6. Bar Code

A barcode (also spelled bar code) is a method of representing data in a visual, machine-
readable form. Initially, barcodes represented data by varying the widths and spacings of parallel
lines. These barcodes, now commonly referred to as linear or one-dimensional (1D), can be
scanned by special optical scanners, called barcode readers. Later, two-dimensional (2D) variants
were developed, using rectangles, dots, hexagons and other geometric patterns, called matrix
codes or 2D barcodes, although they do not use bars as such. 2D barcodes can be read or
deconstructed using application software on mobile devices with inbuilt cameras, such as
smartphones.

The barcode was invented by Norman Joseph Woodland and Bernard Silver and patented in
the US in 1951 (US Patent 2,612,994). The invention was based on Morse code that was
extended to thin and thick bars. However, it took over twenty years before this invention became
commercially successful. An early use of one type of barcode in an industrial context was
sponsored by the Association of American Railroads in the late 1960s. Developed by General
Telephone and Electronics (GTE) and called KarTrak ACI (Automatic Car Identification), this
scheme involved placing colored stripes in various combinations on steel plates which were
affixed to the sides of railroad rolling stock. Two plates were used per car, one on each side, with
the arrangement of the colored stripes encoding information such as ownership, type of
equipment, and identification number. The plates were read by a trackside scanner, located for
instance, at the entrance to a classification yard, while the car was moving past. The project was
abandoned after about ten years because the system proved unreliable after long-term use.

7. Fingerprint scanners

Fingerprint scanners are security systems of biometrics. They are used to unlock doors
and in other security applications. During the 2010s fingerprint scanners became commonplace
on mobile phones.

People have a pattern of ridges on their fingers. This fingerprint cannot be removed or
changed. Every fingerprint is different from any other in the world. Because there are countless
combinations, fingerprints are much used for identification.

8. Siri of Apple Inc.

Siri (pronounced /ˈsɪri/) is a virtual assistant that is part of Apple Inc.'s iOS, iPadOS,
watchOS, macOS, tvOS and audioOS operating systems The assistant uses voice queries and a
natural-language user interface to answer questions, make recommendations, and perform
actions by delegating requests to a set of Internet services. The software adapts to users'
individual language usages, searches, and preferences, with continuing use. Returned results are
individualized.

Siri is a spin-off from a project originally developed by the SRI International Artificial
Intelligence Center. Its speech recognition engine was provided by Nuance Communications,
and Siri uses advanced machine learning technologies to function. Its original American, British,
and Australian voice actors recorded their respective voices around 2005, unaware of the
recordings' eventual usage in Siri. The voice assistant was released as an app for iOS in February
2010, and it was acquired by Apple two months later. Siri was then integrated into iPhone 4S at
its release in October 2011. At that time, the separate app was also removed from the iOS App
Store. Siri has since become an integral part of Apple's products, having been adapted into other
hardware devices over the years, including newer iPhone models, as well as iPad, iPod Touch,
Mac, AirPods, Apple TV, and HomePod.

Siri supports a wide range of user commands, including performing phone actions,
checking basic information, scheduling events and reminders, handling device settings, searching
the Internet, navigating areas, finding information on entertainment, and is able to engage with
iOS-integrated apps. With the release of iOS 10 in 2016, Apple opened up limited third-party
access to Siri, including third-party messaging apps, as well as payments, ride-sharing, and
Internet calling apps. With the release of iOS 11, Apple updated Siri's voices for more clear,
human voices, started supporting follow-up questions and language translation, and additional
third-party actions.

Siri's original release on iPhone 4S in 2011 received mixed reviews. It received praise for
its voice recognition and contextual knowledge of user information, including calendar
appointments, but was criticized for requiring stiff user commands and having a lack of
flexibility. It was also criticized for lacking information on certain nearby places, and for its
inability to understand certain English accents. In 2016 and 2017, a number of media reports
have indicated that Siri is lacking in innovation, particularly against new competing voice
assistants from other technology companies. The reports concerned Siri's limited set of features,
"bad" voice recognition, and undeveloped service integrations as causing trouble for Apple in the
field of artificial intelligence and cloud-based services; the basis for the complaints reportedly
due to stifled development, as caused by Apple's prioritization of user privacy and executive
power struggles within the company.

9. Facial Recognition System

A facial recognition system is a technology capable of identifying or verifying a person

While initially a form of computer application, it has seen wider uses in recent times on
mobile platforms and in other forms of technology, such as robotics. It is typically used as access
control in security systems and can be compared to other biometrics such as fingerprint or eye
iris recognition systems. Although the accuracy of facial recognition system as a biometric
technology is lower than iris recognition and fingerprint recognition, it is widely adopted due to
its contactless and non-invasive process. Recently, it has also become popular as a commercial
identification and marketing tool. Other applications include advanced human-computer
interaction, video surveillance, automatic indexing of images, and video database, among others.

10. SHARE it
 SHAREit (SHAREit Technologies Co.Ltd) is a technology company founded in April
2015. The CEO of the company is Michael Qiu. Users can use SHAREit to transfer files
including photos, videos, music, contacts, apps and any other files. SHAREit application allows
Windows, Windows Phone, Android, and iOS devices to transfer files directly. It is currently
available in 45 languages including English, Hindi, Bangla, Indonesian, French, Spanish,
Russian, Arabic and Chinese.

The owners of SHAREit also own various other utility apps such as SHAREit Lite,
LOCKit, LISTENit, CLEANit, CLONEit and S-Player.