Communications of the ACM
Computer Mouse Still Rules, Says Expert
Credit: iStockPhoto.com
Next-generation interactive devices, such as gestural interaction and brain-computer interfaces, are unlikely to replace the keyboard and mouse anytime soon, says Andy Cockburn, a human-computer interaction specialist at the University of Canterbury.
Cockburn says the keyboard offers a very efficient way to input information into a machine and is nearly cognition-free, while the mouse provides high fidelity precision of interaction. New technology offering touch-free gestural interaction is unlikely to catch on as everyday work and home life tools because gesturing in the air is stressful, slow, causes fatigue, and is prone to error.
Cockburn says that people want more efficient ways to using computers, and developing those technologies will require combining computer science with psychology and sociology. He says too many people limit computer science to mathematics and theories of computation, but other disciplines are necessary in order for systems to be designed well. "At a time when the general population is buying into technology and what it gives them in terms of online socialization and love of mobile devices, it's crazy if computer science doesn't embrace that," Cockburn says.
From Australian Associated Press (AAP)
View Full Article
Abstracts Copyright © 2010 Information Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, USA 
No entries found