Human Computer Interaction Research Lab at SFSU |
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The primary goal of the HCI Lab at San Francisco State University is to perform theoretical and applied research in the area of user interaction, software usability, and ubiquitous and pervasive computing. A secondary goal is the support of undergraduate and graduate student coursework and projects in the Computer Science Department. The Lab performs research in a number of basic and applied areas. On-going research projects are in the areas of Pen Computing, Computing for the Life Sciences, and Information Visualization.
Pen ComputingUser Interfaces for Pen Computing are typically very formulaic. The interaction supported is often based around the traditional WIMP interface, with occasional tweaks to support tuning for pen interaction.Our research in pen computing focuses around user-centered design of pen-based interfaces. Specifically, we examine typical actions that users perform, the context of those actions, and try to develop interaction techniques that understand the intention of the user when performing actions. Our specific projects look at topics ranging from less rigid interpretations of user's actions (Inferred Mode Protocols, Sloppy Selection), Sketch and Diagram Recognition, and improved techniques for creating sketches on small screens (Focus+Context Sketching). For more information on this research, visit the links on the left or contact Dr. Lank. Bioinformatics/Computing for the Life SciencesMany researchers acknowledge that Bioinformatics deals with the acquisition, management, analysis and dissemination of data and results of fundamental research in Biology. However, recently many researchers have focused specifically on the analysis of genetic data as the core discipline in Bioinformatics.In our work, we look beyond this small core of research to the broader area of Biology. Specifically, as HCI researchers, we seek to design software artifacts tailored to the needs of researchers in a variety of fields in Life Sciences. Our current projects in Computing for the Life Sciences are in the design of information repositories for Biologist (see our project on a Repository for the Hedgehog Gene Pathway), and in the design of software for use by Field Biologists. For more information, visit the links on the left or contact Dr. Petkovic (Hedgehog) or Dr. Lank (Field Biologists).
Information VisualizationUnderstanding and perceiving information is challenging for users, both in light of the volume of data and the often limited size of display screens. While a number of researchers are seeking new and innovative mechanisms for addressing these topics in a general sense, we, instead, are focusing on targeted research in specific areas.First, in the area of data storage and retrieval, we are actively collaborating with the Microsoft Bay Area Research Center in the MyLifeBits project. This project seeks to capture and archive data generated by an individual. Data includes digital camera images, bills, receipts, web pages visited, files stored on computers, telephone conversations, TV shows and movies viewed, books read, and many other pieces of information. Our work involves the creation of visualizations that allow individuals to perceive patterns in their own data sets. For more information, see our project on Histogram Browsing, where we are working with histograms to both represent and allow access to large data sets, or contact Dr. Lank. We are also working with the design of searching and annotation strategies of large Biological Data Sets, specifically focusing on the Hedgehog Gene Pathway. For more information, contact Dr. Petkovic. In the area of sketching, one challenge in sketching on small screens is the need to create a larger virtual display space. In creating this display space, we often use the small display screen as a window into a larger display space, and only present a portion of the available information to the user. Our work is examining the use of display surface distortion in sketching and other interfaces to allow users to work with more information. For more information, visit our Focus+Context Sketching project or contact Dr. Lank. Finally, we explore the visualization of computer environments in our Smart Classroom Project. In this project, we are exploring mechanims for perceiving information flow and user activity in ubiquitous computing environments. For more information, contact Dr. Lank.
Smart ClassroomThe design of smart rooms and smart environments is an active research area. In our current work, we are focusing on the design of smart classroom environments. Our goals are two-fold. First, we seek to design a computational environment where users (specifically students and professors) can add their own devices as full featured clients, but where these devices never have permanently installed software. Previous research in this style of interaction typically involved the use of web portals or web services.In our work, we use JINI to dynamically deliver full-featured Java applications on-demand to participants. The information created by participants in these applications is stored locally in html format. The applications, however, are never permanently installed. Our premise is that if an applications sole purpose is to communicate with a Smart Environment, then the application is only needed when the participant is in that environment. For more information, visit our Smart Classroom Project site, or contact Dr. Lank. |