Implicit Human-computer Interaction: Two Complementary Approaches

One of the main goals in Human Computer Interaction (HCI) is improving the interface between users and computers: Interfacing should be intuitive, effortless and easy to learn. We approach the goal from two opposite but complementary directions: On the one hand, computer-user interaction can be enhanced if the computer can assess users differences in an automated manner. Therefore we collected physiological and psychological data from people exposed to emotional stimuli and created a database for the community to use for further research in the context of automated learning to detect the differences in the inner states of users. We employed the data both to not only predict the emotional state of users but also their personality traits. On the other hand, users need information dispatched by a computer to be easily, intuitively accessible. To minimize the cognitive effort of assimilating information we use a tactile device in form of a belt and test how it can be best used to replace or augment the information received from other senses (e.g., visual and auditory) in a navigation task. We investigate how both approaches can be combined to improve specific applications.