TouchIT: Understanding Design in a Physical-Digital World

609 Pages·2022·38.809 MB·English

by  Alan Dix, Steve Gill, Devina Ramduny-Ellis, Jo Hare

TouchIT

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Contents
Part I | Introduction 1
1. ElementsofOurHybridExistence 3
1.1 WhyStudyPhysicality 3
1.2 ComponentsofthePhysicalWorld 4
1.3 KindsofThings:FromStonestoSilicon 6
1.4 TheNaturalOrder 7
1.4.1 Theartificial—worksofourhands 9
1.5 ComingTogether 12
1.5.1 Makingthingsusable—Human–
ComputerInteraction 14
1.5.2 Ofdesigners,computer-embedded
devicesandphysicality 16
1.6 DifferentWaystoTouch 22
1.7 LearningaboutPhysicality 26
2. What’sHappeningNow 31
2.1 ComputinginTheWorld 31
2.1.1 Ubiquitouscomputing(ubicomp) 31
2.1.2 InternetofThings 32
2.1.3 Invisibleintelligence 33
2.1.4 Sensors,surveillance,andsmart
cities 34
2.1.5 Nanotechnologyandsmartdust 35
2.2 TechnologyatOurFingertips 37
2.2.1 Tangibleuserinterfaces(TUI) 37
2.2.2 Hapticsandsmartmaterials 37
2.3 UpCloseandPersonal 39
2.3.1 Mobileandpersonaldevices 39
2.3.2 Wearablecomputingandfashion 40
2.3.3 Physiologicalcomputing 41
vi Contents
2.4 BlendingDigitalandPhysicalWorlds 42
2.4.1 Simulatedreality 42
2.4.2 Virtualreality 43
2.4.3 Augmentedrealityandmixedreality 44
2.5 RobotsandAutomation 45
2.5.1 Human–robotinteraction 45
2.5.2 Notbeingthere—telepresence
robots 46
2.5.3 Robotsyoulivein 49
2.6 DigitalFabricationandDIYElectronics 49
2.6.1 Digitizedindustry 49
2.6.2 3Dprintinganddigitalfabrication 51
2.6.3 DIYelectronicsandhacking 51
2.6.4 Makerculture,fromcodingto
crafting 53
Part II | Human Body and Mind 55
3. Body 57
3.1 BodyasaPhysicalThing 57
3.2 SizeandSpeed 59
3.3 TheNetworkedBody 61
3.4 AdaptingITtotheBody 63
3.5 TheBodyasInterface 65
3.6 AsCarrierofIT—TheRegularCyborg 68
4. Mind 72
4.1 MindasaPhysicalThing 72
4.2 MemoryandTime 74
4.3 JustNumbers 76
4.4 MultipleIntelligences 77
4.5 TheBrainasInterface 83
4.6 CreativityandPhysicality 85
Contents vii
5. BodyandMind 89
5.1 WholeBeings 89
5.2 SensingOurselves 89
5.3 TheBodyShapestheMind—Posture
andEmotion 92
5.4 CyberneticsoftheBody 94
5.5 TheAdaptedBody 99
5.6 PlansandAction 103
5.7 TheEmbodiedMind 108
6. Social,Organizational,andCultural 112
6.1 PersonalContact 112
6.2 Intimacy 114
6.3 MediationandSharing 116
6.4 Socio-organizationalChurch–TuringHypothesis 120
6.5 CultureandCommunityofPractice 123
6.6 Political 125
Part III | Objects and Things 129
7. PhysicalityofThings 131
7.1 PhysicsandNaïvePhysics 131
7.2 RulesofPhysicalThings 133
7.3 ContinuityinTimeandSpace 135
7.4 Conservation of Number and
PreservationofForm 135
7.5 EmotionandNostalgia 137
7.6 AllOurSenses 139
8. InteractingwithPhysicalObjects 145
8.1 AffordanceRevisited—WhatWeCanDo
andWhatWeThinkWeCanDo 145
8.2 AffordancesoftheArtificial 146
8.3 AdaptedforNewActions 148
viii Contents
8.4 ActionasInvestigation 153
8.5 LettingtheWorldHelp 156
9. HybridDevices 162
9.1 Abstraction—Software as if
HardwareDoesn’tMatter 162
9.2 TheLimitsofHardwareAbstraction 165
9.3 Specialization—Computer-embeddedDevices 169
9.4 WhatDoesItDo? 170
9.5 Mapping 172
9.6 Feedback 180
9.7 TheDeviceUnplugged 185
9.7.1 Exposedstate 186
9.7.2 Hiddenstate 188
9.7.3 Tangibletransitionsandtension
states 194
9.7.4 Naturalinverse 197
10. Tools,Equipment,andMachines 202
10.1 ToolsandtheDevelopmentofHumankind 202
10.2 Affordance,Understanding,andCulture 204
10.3 Heidegger,Hammers,andBreakdown 207
10.4 FromPhilosophytoDesign:DesigningforFailure 212
10.5 BreakdownandReflection 216
Part IV | Space 223
11. PhysicalityofSpace 225
11.1 Void—MatrixorMyth 225
11.2 FromNothing—Points,Lines,andCircles 227
11.3 Flatness—TheShapeofSpace 230
11.4 Uniformity—ContinuityandFracture 233
11.5 Scale—SizeMatters 236
11.6 RelativityandLocality 240
Contents ix
11.7 TimeToo 244
11.8 TerraFirma 247
11.9 PatternsintheLandscape 249
12. ComprehensionofSpace 252
12.1 EarlyUnderstandingofSpace 253
12.2 ChildhoodandLargerSpaces 253
12.3 FeelingandActinginSpace 255
12.4 SeeingSpace—3DVision 257
12.5 MentalSpace 259
12.6 Maps,Sketches,andCartography 261
12.7 PathsandNarrative 264
12.8 TheLanguageofSpace 267
12.9 CultureandTime/Space 268
12.10 VirtualSpace 270
12.11 PlaceandNon-place 272
12.12 JourneyorDestination 274
13. TheBuiltEnvironment 279
13.1 Introduction 279
13.2 Physical–DigitalLayers 279
13.3 TemporalLayering 285
13.4 Digital–PhysicalPlaygrounds 288
13.5 TheConquestofSpace 288
13.6 ComputerMediation 290
13.7 DigitalCulture 290
13.8 TheInternetofThings 295
13.9 HumanTechnology 300
14. DigitalAugmentationofSpace 301
14.1 ControloverSpace 301
14.2 MobilePhonesandMobileApplications 303
14.3 PervasiveandPublicDisplays 306
14.4 InteractingwithPublicDisplays 308