Posted on Saturday 27th of October 2007 at 12:36 in Random

Hollywood always gets HCI wrong

The future of human computer interaction is a hot topic, with a lot of interesting things being attempted at the moment (things like Microsoft Surface). But it's always Hollywood that needs to visualise these things...

Yet, I wonder if anyone offers any consultation over future HCI as it always remains a talking point of the film. How many times have you heard people refer to the interface in Minority Report? I've heard it countless times as people believe that's "the future", but they've all got it wrong.

The common misconception of "floating screens"
The most common version shown in science-fiction these days is the ever-so-impressive floating screen. A translucent virtual panel, levitating at shoulder height to the user allowing for multi-contact input.

The Matrix had this in the Zion control centre: exemplified by the copyright-safe lego interpretation video below.



Minority report had a similar concept which is used multiple times in this TV trailer:



So what's wrong with those models?
Could you imagine working for 8 hours a day with your arms forever extended to shoulder height? Sliding items around? Try it, for 10 minutes. Imagine sitting at your desk but organising every image you posess into folders individually. Hundreds of images, into hundreds of folders, with your finger, at almost head height.

It's tiring.

Just a passing thought as I work my way through the Matrix trilogy this weekend.

 

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