These are my thoughts after reading the articles on the schedule.
The definition of physical interaction seems tough to define, and this might sound vague, but physical interactivity is the PROCESS of how people engage with each other through actions and programmable objects. Good physical interaction can be achieved by appealing to the human senses. Humans are sensitive creatures dependent on feedback, and good interactivity design integrates form with function. Humans have an amazing ability to physically and emotionally feel things, and what we physically interact with shouldn’t be limited to just things that appeal to one sense. Interactive design can’t just be interactive entertainment. As Chris Crawford said, “Interactivity design address the entire interaction between user and computer, it considers thinking in the process of optimization.” A good system design that came to mind when reflecting on this, is drowsiness detection in automobiles. Specifically Mercedes, who has an alert system that reminded me of Crawford’s (Listening, Thinking, and Speaking) analogy for good interactive design. Here’s how it works.
- Mercedes-Benz: Attention Assist In 2009, Mercedes-Benz unveiled a system called Attention Assist which monitors the driver’s fatigue level and drowsiness based on his/her driving inputs. It issues a visual and audible alarm to alert the driver if he or she is too drowsy to continue driving. It is linked to the car’s navigation system, and using that data, it can tell the driver where coffee and fuel are available.
Berry College Physical Computing 2017 