Why is HCI so important?

We are all taking this module obviously because we are interested in learning abt the interaction between humans and computers.In that case, we definitely agree that human computer interaction has had an impact on us, the way we do things and also everything around us(society).Lets just take a look to see in what ways has HCI actually benefited us? People are constantly working to improve the interactions between humans and computers or any technological device for that matter.

HCI has more impact than we actually realise. The most obvious use of HCI is in our mobile phones, especially in smart phones which uses touch screen technology. The use of buttons has become obsolete, and can be seen as a decreasing design in most of the phones today. Although some agree that the use of touch screen has made the use of phones much easier and a lot more interactive, some disagree as they find it difficult to adapt to the relatively new technology. The ease of use of these devices definitely depends on the screen size. Imagine having to touch a particular icon on a rather small screen, there is a high possibility that we will tap the wrong icon and have to go back and try again.Then again, having too big a screen is not the solution. However, we have learnt to come around that problem and strike a balance.

Gaming has always been a craze among youngsters and undoubtedly, HCI has a vital role to play with enhancing user experience. The new Xbox Kinect brought gaming to a new level with its full body play! This means that the Kinect  actually responds to how we move.How cool is that? If we want to kick, we literally kick! All we have to do is to activate the sensor and we are set to play. Such technology has made it simple to play games  without having to learn the different keys on the game controller. Therefore, more people will be interested in buying this console!

These are just two examples where HCI is used widely. HCI is also used in many other forms, for example like in voice controlled devices. These benefit people with visual impairment as well or any other type of physical disabilities. 'Nuance Talks' is a company that offers technology that gives the user audio for their contacts, caller ID, text messages, web browsing and more. This is called screen reading software and is in its beginning stages of development.



Self-scan supermarket checkouts are another example. These checkouts are more widely used in the West, but are becoming more famous in other parts of the world. I saw some of these self check out machines at the Clementi Mall NTUC and was impressed. These check-outs have carefully designed user interfaces to make them easier and faster to use. This way, people can avoid having to queue up long to bill their items as these machines do not require staff.

With the constant improvement in technology, we can be sure that the advancement in HCI will not stop here! We can look forward to much more sophisticated technology in this field in the coming years such as interactive 3D projections!