Blog - Paper Reading #2: Hands-on math

Reference:

Authors:
Robert Zeleznik     Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
Andrew Bragdon         Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
Ferdi Adeputra         Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
Hsu-Sheng Ko         Brown University, Providence, RI, USA

Published in:
UIST '10 Proceedings of the 23nd annual ACM symposium on User interface software and technology

Summary:

This paper is written by Mircosoft researchers who are attempting to determine if a Computer Algebra System (CAS) program can integrated into a multi-touch based interface using the Mircosoft Surface. The authors review similar technology and explain why their is new and/or different.  Previous works in the same area, according to the authors, do not utilize multi-touch technology combined with a light pen.  They claim that using these technologies together allows the user a familiar and natural input method in their program.

The authors spend several pages detailing the various hand gestures and interface options available to users of their program.  For instance, page creation is handled using an extremely natural gesture of sliding two fingers over the edge of the screen from the outside to the inside, mimicking the action of pulling a new sheet of paper unto the desktop.  According to their results, almost all experimental users were able to figure this out without outside assistance.  Another noteworthy interface option is the ability to "fold" pieces of the on screen paper.  Much like a computer programming IDE, users can pinch a section of the paper and that particular section is hidden until the user calls it back. 

The user feedback in the last portion of their paper seemed pretty optimistic.  Most of their interface was discoverable without too much help and the features that were not, were clear to the users after appropriate explanation.  The only widespread criticism of the program was the lack of high level functionality it allowed.  All of the users desired a deeper program in terms of the level of math it helped with. 


Discussion:


The first thing that I cannot shake from my mind is the fact that the authors used the word "cool" multiple times in their article.  Although it was a quotation from the feedback of the test users, it still cracked me up everytime I read it.  Aside from that, this technology is very "cool." Reading this paper made me want to buy a Microsoft Surface solely for the ability to use program like this (until I looked up the price :/).  Overall, I was interested in how the authors decided to use each gesture and input method and as an outsider, I could see how each is natural and a good method to use.