Human–computer interaction (HCI) is research in the design and the use of computer technology, which focuses on the interfaces between people (users) and computers. HCI researchers observe the ways humans interact with computers and design technologies that allow humans to interact with computers in novel ways. A device that allows interaction between human being and a computer is known as a "Human-computer Interface (HCI)".
As a field of research, human–computer interaction is situated at the intersection of computer science, behavioral sciences, design, media studies, and several other fields of study. The term was popularized by Stuart K. Card, Allen Newell, and Thomas P. Moran in their 1983 book, The Psychology of Human–Computer Interaction. The first known use was in 1975 by Carlisle. The term is intended to convey that, unlike other tools with specific and limited uses, computers have many uses which often involve an open-ended dialogue between the user and the computer. The notion of dialogue likens human–computer interaction to human-to-human interaction: an analogy that is crucial to theoretical considerations in the field. (Full article...)
A brain–computer interface (BCI), sometimes called a brain–machine interface (BMI), is a direct communication link between the brain's electrical activity and an external device, most commonly a computer or robotic limb. BCIs are often directed at researching, mapping, assisting, augmenting, or repairing human cognitive or sensory-motor functions. They are often conceptualized as a human–machine interface that skips the intermediary of moving body parts (hands...), although they also raise the possibility of erasing the distinction between brain and machine. BCI implementations range from non-invasive (EEG, MEG, MRI) and partially invasive (ECoG and endovascular) to invasive (microelectrode array), based on how physically close electrodes are to brain tissue.
Research on BCIs began in the 1970s by Jacques Vidal at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) under a grant from the National Science Foundation, followed by a contract from the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Vidal's 1973 paper introduced the expression brain–computer interface into scientific literature. (Full article...)
The following are images from various human–computer interaction-related articles on Wikipedia.
Image 1Some alternative methods of tracking and analyzing gestures, and their respective relationships (from Gesture recognition)
Image 2An Omni treadmill being used at a VR convention (from Virtual reality)
Image 3Middleware usually processes gesture recognition, then sends the results to the user. (from Gesture recognition)
Image 4The skeletal version (right) is effectively modeling the hand (left). This has fewer parameters than the volumetric version and it's easier to compute, making it suitable for real-time gesture analysis systems. (from Gesture recognition)
Image 6A VPL Research DataSuit, a full-body outfit with sensors for measuring the movement of arms, legs, and trunk. Developed c. 1989. Displayed at the Nissho Iwai showroom in Tokyo (from Virtual reality)
Image 7A child's hand location and movement being detected by a gesture recognition algorithm (from Gesture recognition)
Image 8The user interacts directly with hardware for the human input and output such as displays, e.g. through a graphical user interface. The user interacts with the computer over this software interface using the given input and output (I/O) hardware. Software and hardware are matched so that the processing of the user input is fast enough, and the latency of the computer output is not disruptive to the workflow. (from Human–computer interaction)
Image 12These binary silhouette(left) or contour(right) images represent typical input for appearance-based algorithms. They are compared with different hand templates and if they match, the correspondent gesture is inferred. (from Gesture recognition)
Image 15A computer monitor provides a visual interface between the machine and the user. (from Human–computer interaction)
Image 16In theory, VR represents a participant's field of view (yellow area). (from Virtual reality)
Image 17View-Master, a stereoscopic visual simulator, was introduced in 1939.
Image 18An operator controlling The Virtual Interface Environment Workstation (VIEW) at NASAAmes around 1990 (from Virtual reality)
Image 19A CAVE system at IDL's Center for Advanced Energy Studies in 2010 (from Virtual reality)
Image 20Virtual Fixtures immersive AR system developed in 1992. Picture features Dr. Louis Rosenberg interacting freely in 3D with overlaid virtual objects called 'fixtures'. (from Virtual reality)
Image 21A real hand (left) is interpreted as a collection of vertices and lines in the 3D mesh version (right), and the software uses their relative position and interaction in order to infer the gesture. (from Gesture recognition)