There are several ubi-comp interfaces emerging to the markets to challenge the traditional mouse and keyboard approach UIs.
Touch screens are now the norm on smart phones and tablets, and even becoming available in Internet TVs, computer monitors and laptops. The next wave of gaming consoles is bound to support them as are plethora of other future smart devices like auto-filling fridges and self-driving cars.
Voice recognition is becoming supported by all vendors; for example Apple has Siri, Google Iris and I think Microsoft one was called Dragon (but don't quote me on that last one). The technology is improving in leaps and bounds and will eventually support even the hardcore Finnish (speaking english) accents.
Gesture recognition is now available in gaming consoles plus via 3rd party gadgets on your computing devices. It still requires much more work from hardware developers, but is definitively starting to look quite promising. Facial recognition has started to emerge, Nokia and other vendors are trying to make your computing devices to understand how you are feeling.
First tests have been done to start embedding smart devices into your "self-sphere"; either into your clothes, or even organically into your skin (ferric tattoos by Nokia for example) or into your body (cyborg?). It has been predicted that inside-your-body organic computing might be as close as only a decade away.
3D is finally becoming mainstream in mapping environments as well as being introduced into our societies via technologies like augmented reality and LiDAR. And finally - most vendors have Google Glasses like products on works; certainly Microsoft, Nokia and Samsung are working on this technology.
Unlike some other "visionaries" I do not believe these technologies will replace mouse & keyboard, but in many cases will instead complement the traditional UIs.
There are a couple of reasons for this:
So I predict that in near future
And of course 3D will be everywhere. Anybody care to guess what will happen to virtual reality and hologram technologies?
Touch screens are now the norm on smart phones and tablets, and even becoming available in Internet TVs, computer monitors and laptops. The next wave of gaming consoles is bound to support them as are plethora of other future smart devices like auto-filling fridges and self-driving cars.
Voice recognition is becoming supported by all vendors; for example Apple has Siri, Google Iris and I think Microsoft one was called Dragon (but don't quote me on that last one). The technology is improving in leaps and bounds and will eventually support even the hardcore Finnish (speaking english) accents.
Gesture recognition is now available in gaming consoles plus via 3rd party gadgets on your computing devices. It still requires much more work from hardware developers, but is definitively starting to look quite promising. Facial recognition has started to emerge, Nokia and other vendors are trying to make your computing devices to understand how you are feeling.
First tests have been done to start embedding smart devices into your "self-sphere"; either into your clothes, or even organically into your skin (ferric tattoos by Nokia for example) or into your body (cyborg?). It has been predicted that inside-your-body organic computing might be as close as only a decade away.
3D is finally becoming mainstream in mapping environments as well as being introduced into our societies via technologies like augmented reality and LiDAR. And finally - most vendors have Google Glasses like products on works; certainly Microsoft, Nokia and Samsung are working on this technology.
Unlike some other "visionaries" I do not believe these technologies will replace mouse & keyboard, but in many cases will instead complement the traditional UIs.
There are a couple of reasons for this:
- the other UIs are nowhere near as accurate when in use, however you do expect them to become more sophisticated in the near future
- better AI-like software will be required to take full advantage of the new UIs
- lot of the new devices and UIs are for some very specific tasks, not to a generic use as traditional UIs
- a major mind shift is required from users to get better value from the new UIs - it might be that only the new generation working with these from early childhood can gain the full benefits
So I predict that in near future
- wireless mouse will be integrated into touch devices (like keyboard already is)
- gesture, voice and eventually facial recognition will be integrated into smart devices and computers and will become mainstream
- Google Glasses-like devices will become alternative monitors for your smart devices
And of course 3D will be everywhere. Anybody care to guess what will happen to virtual reality and hologram technologies?