HCI Ideas Carving out a Research Niche with Chris Harrison and Scott Hudson
Sep 27, 2024
Scott Hudson, a long-time professor at Carnegie Mellon and pioneer in computational textiles, joins Chris Harrison, director of the Future Interfaces Group, to delve into the evolution of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). They explore the journey from traditional interfaces to innovative research like shape-shifting pixels in haptics. The duo discusses the vital role mentorship plays in academic growth, the necessity of interdisciplinary collaboration, and the balance between specialization and a broad research approach in shaping the future of technology.
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Mentorship Shapes Research Style
- Chris Harrison thrived under Scott Hudson's mentorship which offered him independence to explore wide research areas freely.
- This autonomy and timely advice on machine learning profoundly shaped Chris's prolific and innovative research career.
Eclectic Research Style Benefits
- Having an eclectic research style allows nimble exploration of new and diverse fields within HCI.
- Deep expertise and broad exploration both have value, given HCI's vast, still-uncovered terrain.
Fluid Reality's Game-Changing Tech
- The "Fluid Reality" project innovated haptic technology by applying fluid dynamics concepts rarely connected with HCI.
- This resulted in a landmark improvement: 10x better performance and 100x smaller and cheaper than previous systems.