A research agenda for human computer confluence

Abstract

HCl research over three decades has shaped a wide spanning research area at the boundaries of computer science and behavioral science, with an impres¬sive outreach to how humankind is experiencing information and communication technologies in literally every breath of an individual's life. The explosive growth of networks and communications, and at the same time radical miniaturization of ICT electronics have reversed the principles of human computer interaction. Up until now considered as the interaction concerns when humans approach ICT systems, more recent observations see systems approaching humans at the same time. Humans and ICT Systems apparently approach each other confluently. This article identifies trends in research and technology that are indicative for the emerging symbiosis of society and technology. Fertilized by two diametrically opposed technology trends: (i) the miniaturization of information and communica¬tion electronics, and (ii) the exponential growth of global communication networks, HCC over it's more than two decades of evolution, the field has been undergoing three generations of research challenges: The first generation aiming towards autonomic systems and their adaptation was driven by the availability of technology to connect literally everything to everything (Connectedness, early to late nineties). The second generation inherited from the upcoming context recognition and knowledge process¬ing technologies (Awareness, early twentyhundreds), e.g. context-awareness, self-awareness or resource-awareness. Finally, a third generation, building upon connect¬edness and awareness, attempts to exploit the (ontological) semantics of Pervasive / Ubiquitous Computing systems, services and interactions (i.e. giving meaning to situations and actions, and "intelligence" to systems) (Smartness, from the mid twen-tyhundreds). As of today we observe that modern ICT with explicit user input and output are becoming to be replaced by a computing landscape sensing the physical world via a huge variety of sensors, and controlling it via a plethora of actuators. The nature and appearance of computing devices is changing to be hidden in the fabric of everyday life, invisibly networked, and omnipresent, with applications greatly being based on the notions of context and knowledge. Interaction with such globe spanning, modern ICT systems will presumably be more implicit, at the periphery of human attention, rather than explicit, i.e. at the focus of human attention.