Pointing Devices and Haptic Interaction
For the past seven years we have investigated,
with help from Steve Keele and Mike Posner in the Universtiy of
Oregon Psychology Dept., the rich body of psychological literature
on human rapid aimed movement (pointing) with the purpose of better
understanding computer-mediated pointing. Two previous areas of
research focus have been the evaluation of keyboard-based pointing
devices, and the explanation of human performance differences
between isotonic (mouse) and isometric (joystick) pointing devices.
The results of that research have been published in several papers
and a book, The ergonomics of computer pointing devices,
(Springer-Verlag, 1997). Much of this work has been done in collaboration
with former Ph.D. student Kartik Mithal, who received his Ph.D.
degree in August 1995, and current Ph.D. student Arthur Kirkpatrick.
Current research projects in this area:
Software for Pointing Device Experiments
We have developed WinFitts, a program for running two-dimensional Fitts experiments on
Windows 95 and NT. The program is available for use and modification by
other groups performing pointing device research (Download Winfitts).
User Interface Design for WWW Scientific
Databases
Our research group has spent the past two years
creating a Web-based genetics database for the Zebrafish science
community. This project, sponsored by NSF grant BIR95-07401,
is one part of the broad research goals of the Human Genome Project:
to establish species-specific genetics databases. Because approximately
25 such databases are now on the Web with many more in the planning
stages, it is critical that they meet the needs of the scientific
community. In response, our research has focused on developing
a human-centered and distributed participatory design approach
that can be used by other developers to create useful and usable
systems.
Current research projects in this area:
Computer Mediation of Social Interaction
Earlier work in this area by the Interactive
Systems Group was the doctoral dissertation work of Eck Doerry.
His 1995 dissertation examined transcribed dialogues of pairs
of users performing shared work-space tasks with face-to-face,
audio link, and audio-video link environments. Using a systematic
classification of communication breakdowns (topic, turn-taking,
and reference) and a set of heuristics for categorizing events
into these breakdown categories, his results support that of similar
studies: face-to-face communication has significantly fewer breakdowns
than either technologically-mediated environment, with video providing
no additional advantage.
Our work developing the Web-based genetics
database for the Zebrafish science community has lead to a new
and exciting research topic for us: technologies for social interaction
on the Web. Social interaction is achieved by the use of Internet
tools such as email, bbs, chat and MOOs linked through the information
resources of the HTML home page. This type of computer-mediated
social interaction differs significantly from the typical computer
conferencing in interaction medium, time frame of interaction
and type of group.
Current research projects in this area: