Special Issue: Organic User Interfaces

摘要

Until recently, the ways in which we interacted with computers were limited by the flat, rigid and rectangular form factors of cathode-ray tubes and liquid crystal displays. Technical limitations forced user interfaces into boxes, limiting interactions to 2D pointing and keyboard input. With technological advances in flexible sensor and display technologies, we are experiencing a new revolution in human-computer interaction (HCI): one in which user interfaces can be worn on the body as if they were cloth, used in the office as if they were paper and used in architecture as if they were wallpapers (Co and Pashenkov, 2008; Buechley and Mellis, 2010; Lahey et ai, 2011). Rather than being rigid and static, the user interfaces of tomorrow will be able to have a shape that accommodates the user's context and fits the data on display. For instance, if a user wants to explore geographic information, they can use a spherical display that does not require distortion of the earth projection (Stevenson, 2010). When reading an interactive map, users can extend their mobile's screen real estate by unfolding their pocket-size flexible e-paper display.