Section: Research Program

Leveraging human perceptual skills

Our work under this theme concerns the physicality of human-computer interaction, with a focus on haptic perception and related technologies, and the perception of animated displays.

Vibrators have long been used to provide basic kinesthetic feedback. Other piezoceramic and electro-active polymer technologies make it possible to support programmable friction or emboss a surface, and thin, organic technologies should soon provide transparent and conformable, flexible or stretchable substrates. We want to study the use of these different technologies for static and dynamic haptic feedback from both an engineering and an HCI perspective. We want to develop the tools and knowledge required to facilitate and inform the design of future haptic interactions taking best advantage of the different technologies.

Animations are increasingly common in graphical interfaces. Beyond their compelling nature, they are powerful tools that can be used to depict dynamic data, to help understand time-varying behaviors, to communicate a particular message or to capture attention. Yet despite their popularity, they are still largely under-comprehended as cognitive aids. While best practices provide useful directions, very little empirical research examine different types of animation, and their actual benefits and limitations remain to be determined. We want to increase current knowledge and develop the tools required to best take advantage of them.