Third International Conference on Emerging Trends in Engineering and Technology

HUMAN COMPUTER INTERACTION

Gaurav Sinha
Electronics and Telecommunications
G.H.Raisoni College of Engineering
Nagpur, India
E-mail: [email protected]

Rahul Shahi
Information Technology
G.H.Raisoni College of Engineering
Nagpur, India
E-mail: [email protected]

Mani Shankar
Information Technology
G.H.Raisoni College of Engineering
Nagpur, India
E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract— This paper intends to provide an overview on the What will or world be like in 2020? Digital technologies
subject of Human Computer Interaction (HCI), also sometimes will continue to proliferate, enabling ever more ways of
referred as Man Machine Interaction or MMI. We will be changing how we live. But will such developments improve
discussing about basic definition and a brief history about the the quality of life, empower us, and make us feel safer,
origin of HCI. In the later sections, discussions will be made on happier and more connected? Or will living with
existing technologies in HCI and their developments. In the
technologies make it more tiresome, frustrating, angst
end, we also intend to discuss about the future directions in
HCI. ridden, and security driven? What will it mean to be human
when everything we do is supported or augmented by
I. INTRODUCTION technology?
The world we live in has become suffused with computer
technologies. They have created change and continue to do This paper intends to provide an overview on the subject of
so. It is not only on our desktops and in our hands that this Human Computer Interaction (HCI), also sometimes
is manifest, it is in virtually all aspects of our lives, in our referred as Man Machine Interaction or MMI. We will be
communities, and in the wider society of which we are a discussing about basic definition and a brief history about
part. the origin of HCI. In the later sections, discussions will be
made on existing technologies in HCI and their
Utilizing computers had always begged the question of developments. In the end, we also intend to discuss about
interfacing. The methods by which human has been the future directions in HCI.
interacting with computers has travelled a long way. The II. DEFINITION AND TERMINOLOGY
journey still continues and new designs of technologies and
systems more and more everyday and the research in this There is no agreed upon definition of the range of topics
area has been growing very fast in past few decades. The which form the area of human computer interaction. Yet for
growth in Human-Computer Interaction field has not only the need of characterization of the field, we come up with
been in quality of interaction, it also has experienced the following working definition:
different branching in its history. Instead of designing
regular interfaces, the different research branches have had HUMAN COMPUTER INTERACTION is a discipline
different focus on the concepts of multimodality rather than concerned with the design, evaluation and implementation
unimodality, intelligent adaptive interfaces rather than of interactive computing systems for human use and with the
command/action based ones, and finally active rather than study of major phenomena surrounding them.
passive interfaces.

978-0-7695-4246-1/10 $26.00 © 2010 IEEE 1

DOI 10.1109/ICETET.2010.85
From the computer science perspective, the focus is on IV. GOALS OF HUMAN COMPUTER INTERACTION
interaction and specifically on interaction between one or A basic goal of HCI is to improve the interactions of
more computational machines. between users and computers by making computers more
usable and receptive to the user’s needs. Specifically, HCI is
Sometimes called as Man Machine Interaction or concerned with:
Interfacing, concept of Human Computer Interaction (HCI)
was automatically represented with the emerging of 1. Methodologies and processes for designing
computer, or more generally machines itself. The reason is
interfaces (i.e. given a task and class of users,
that most sophisticated machines are worthless unless they
can be used properly by men. This basic argument simply design the best possible interface within given
present the main terms that should be considered in the constraints, optimizing for a desired property such
design of HCI: functionality and usability. as learning ability or efficiency of use).

Functionality of a system is defined by the set of actions or 2. Methods for implementing interfaces (ex. Software
services that it provides to its users. However, the value of toolkits and libraries efficient algorithms.)
functionality is visible only when it becomes possible to be
efficiently utilized by the user.
3. Techniques for evaluating and comparing
Usability of the system with a certain functionality is the interfaces.
range and degree by which the system can be used
efficiently and adequately to accomplish certain goals for 4. Developing new interfaces and interaction
certain users. The actual effectiveness of a system is techniques.
achieved when there is a proper balance between the
functionality and usability of the system.
5. Developing descriptive and predictive models and
theories of interaction.
III. HISTORY
The concept of Human Computer Interaction originated A long term goal of HCI is to design systems that
with the invention of first general purpose electronic minimize the barrier between the humans cognitive
computer called Electronic Numerical Integrator and model of what they want to accomplish and computer’s
Calculator (ENIAC) in 1946. It was 10 feet tall, covered an understanding of the user’s task.
area of 1000 sq. Feet and consumed as much energy as a
small town. Further with introduction of Graphical User V. IMPORTANCEW OF HUMAN COMPUTER
Interface (GUI) and internet, the importance of HCI was INTERACTION
realised. Further researches in HCI have been spectacularly
successful and have fundamentally changed computing. Just
one example is the ubiquitous graphical interface used by Human Computer Interaction or the HCI has become
Microsoft Windows 95, which is based on Macintosh, need of hour. Since, humans are now completely
which is based on Xerox PARC, which in turn is based on surrounded by the computers, the way of interaction
early research at the Stanford Research Laboratory (now between humans and computers plays a very important
SRI) and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. role. The computer should understand the instructions,
Another example is that virtually all software written today provided by the humans and should be able to produce
employs user interface toolkits and interface builders, output accordingly. A normal user considers human
concepts which were developed first at universities. Even computer interaction only as a person operating a PC.
the spectacular growth of world wide web is a direct result However, the need and importance of HCI can be
of HCI research, applying hypertext technology to browsers understood by a little knowledge of following two
allows one to traverse a link across the world with a click of fields:
mouse. Interface improvements more than anything else has
triggered this explosive growth. Furthermore, the research a. Human Robot Interaction(HRI)
that will lead to the user interfaces for the computers of b. Brain Computer Interaction(BCI)
tomorrow is happening at universities and a few corporate
research labs.
a. HUMAN ROBOT INTERACTION :

Human Robot Interaction is the study of interactions

between humans and robots. It is often referred as HRI

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by researchers. Human Robot Interaction is a b. BRAIN COMPUTER INTERACTION :
multidisciplinary field with contributions from Human
Computer Interaction (HCI), Artificial Intelligence, A brain computer interaction (BCI), sometimes called
Robotics, Natural language understanding and social as direct neural interface or a brain machine interface, is
sciences. a direct communication pathway between a brain and
an external device. BCIs are often aimed at assigning,
Human Robot Interaction has been a topic of both augmenting or repairing human cognitive or sensory
science fiction and academic speculation even before motor function.
any robots existed. Because HRI depends on a
knowledge of human communications. Many aspects of The field of BCI has blossomed spectacularly, mostly
HRI are continuations of human communications topics toward neuroprosthetic applications that aim at
that are much older than robotics per se. restoring damaged hearing, sight and movement.
Thanks to the remarkable cortical plasticity of the brain,
The origin of HRI as a discrete problem was stated by signals from implanted prostheses can, after adaptation,
20th century author Isaac Asimov in 1941, in his novel be handled by the brain like natural sensor or effectors
I, Robot. He states the three laws of robotics as : channels.

1. A robot may not injure a human or, through Human BCI research includes invasive BCIs, partially
inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. and non invasive BCIs, EEG, MRI and MEG. Invasive
BCI research has targeted repairing damaged sight and
providing new functionality to persons with paralysis.
2. A robot must obey any orders given to it by human
Invasive BCIs are implanted directly into the grey
beings, except where such orders would conflict matter of the brain during neurosurgery. Partially
with the first law. invasive BCI devices are implanted inside the skull but
rest outside the brain rather than within the grey matter.
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as They produce better resolution signals whereas the non
such protection does not conflict with the first and invasive implants produce poor signal resolution.
second law.
Under non invasive interface technologies,
These three laws of robotics determine the idea of safe electroencephalography (EEG) is the most studied
interaction. The closer the human and robot get the potential interface, mainly due to its fine temporal
higher the risk of injury. In industry this is solved by resolution, ease of use, portability and low set up cost.
not allowing human and robot share the same Other than this magentoencephalography (MEG) and
workspace at any time by the extensive use of zones. functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have
The presence of human is completely forbidden in some both also been used successfully as non invasive BCIs.
part of space while the robot is working on it and vice
versa. VI. THE 2020
With the advances of artificial intelligence, the According to the Microsoft backed report consisting of
autonomous robot could eventually have more the analysis and opinions of more than 40 experts in
proactive behaviors, planning their motion in complex fields ranging from computing to sociology, by 2020,
unknown environments. These new capabilities would the ideas of interface and user will be obsolete, “as
have to keep safety as a primary issue and as second computers merge even closer to humans,” reports the
efficiency. To allow these new generation of robot BBC. The document details the projected future of
research is being made on human detection, modern Human Computer Interaction (HCI) predicting that in
planning, scene reconstruction, intelligent behavior little more than a decade, computers will be able to
through task planning. anticipate its users needs and humans, in turn, will be
able to interact semantically with computers.
The basic goal of HRI is to define a general human
model that could lead to principles and algorithms The means by which humans interact with computers
allowing more natural and effective interactions continues to evolve rapidly. Human Computer
between human and robots. Research ranges from how Interaction is affected by the forces shaping the nature
humans work with remote, tele-operated unmanned of future computing. The future of HCI is expected to
vehicles to peer to peer collaboration with include the following characteristics:
anthropomorphic robots.

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1. Ubiquitous communications : computers will 8. Augmented reality : a common staple of science
communicate through high speed local networks, fiction, augmented reality refers to the motion of
nationally over wide area network and portably via layering relevant information into our vision of the
infrared, ultrasonic, cellular and other technologies. world.

2. High functionality systems : systems will have VII. CONCLUSION

large number of functions associated with them.
The techniques are force sensitive and provide
3. Mass availability of computer graphics : computer unprecedented resolution and scalability, allowing
graphics capabilities such as image processing, creating sophisticated multi point widgets for
graphics transformations, rendering and interactive applications large enough to accommodate both hands
animation will become widespread as inexpensive and multiple users. The possibilities with this
chips become available for inclusion in general technology are endless and if pursued by the right
workstations. individuals or companies we could see a complete shift
in Human Computer Interaction (HCI). 
4. Mixed media : systems will handle images, voice,
sounds, video, texts, formatted data. REFERENCES

5. High bandwidth interaction : the rate at which For this paper we have referred to following books and web
humans and machines interact will increase pages which has provided us with vast information needed
substantially. for the development of this report.

6. Large and thin displays : new display technologies [1] Readings in human computer interaction: toward the
year 2000 by Baeckar R Grudin
will finally mature, enabling very large and thin,
lightweight, low power displays. [2] Human Computer Interaction in the New Millennium
by JM Caroll
7. Embedded computations : computation will pass
[3] www.id-book.com
beyond desktop computers into every object for
which uses can be found. [4] www.hcibib.org