Paper review 2 - Reality Based Interaction: A Framework for Post-WIMP Interfaces

In recent years we have seen an increase in the human-computer interaction techniques towards post-WIMP devices due to a greater understanding of human psychology and availability of powerful hardware. These new devices are intuitive as they build on users' pre-existing knowledge of everyday, non-digital world to a much greater extent than before.

This paper proposes the notion of Reality-Based Interaction (RBI) and claims that much of the new post-WIMP interaction research is based on this framework. The framework focuses specifically on the following four themes from the real-world: Naive Physics, Body Awareness and Skills, Environment Awareness and Skills and Social Awareness and Skills. The author thoroughly explains the four themes and their relation to human-computer interaction.

I like the amount of evidence shown by the authors to prove their claim. They not only refer to research where each of the four themes are found but also examples which consist of more than one of these themes. Furthermore, they also refer to a CHI 2006 workshop in which they observed that researchers generally agreed that focus is moving away from WIMP interfaces. After this they carried out an informal field study, in which they noticed the themes of RBI in work of researchers who were completely oblivious to the notion of RBI.

The authors then suggest that the move towards Reality-Based interaction is a positive one. This in my opinion is not their place to say it, I think what they should have done instead is mentioned its advantages and left it for the reader to decide whether the move is really a positive one or not.

Although its obvious, the authors do point out that its not enough to make a RBI device. These interfaces should also include some unrealistic and artificial features which differs the experience from that of real-world. This might often come at cost of trade off of RBI principles. These trade offs are Expressive Power, Efficiency, Versatility, Ergonomics, Accessibility and Practicality.

The authors then give 4 case-studies which along with incorporating each of RBI themes maintain acceptable trade offs.

Today we might think of RBI as being an obvious way forward, but given that the paper was published in 2008 it definitely brought a new notion to the community e.g the authors talk about gaze control which is something we have only seen this year in a consumer product (Galaxy S4). I also like the amount of research done by the authors to prove their claims.



I would have liked to see authors mention a few disadvantages as a result of RBI, e.g. toddlers pinching magazine papers because they are used to iPad (video above). However, overall the paper is quite thorough and establishes the notion of RBI very well, mentioning not only the themes but also the trade offs.