3 PhD Positions in Human-Computer Interaction: Flexible Display UI Design and Evaluation

The Human Media Lab of the School of Computing at Queen’s University is inviting applications for a PhD in Computer Science with an emphasis on human-computer interaction. The project is supported by a grant from the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

Industry/University Partners
The project is in collaboration with industrial partners Autodesk Research (known for their Maya line of products), fuseproject (with designer Yves Behar) and the University of Tokyo’s Rekimoto Lab. Opportunities exist for internships at these institutes.

Project Description
With evolving display capabilities come new capacities for Human-Computer Interaction design. Over the past few years, there has been a quiet revolution in display manufacturing technology. One that is only comparable in scope to that of the invention of the first LCD, one that directly resulted in Kay’s DynaBook and the modern laptop. The e-ink electro-chemical pixel, combined with advances in organic thin-film circuit boards have resulted in displays that are so thin and flexible, they are beginning to resemble paper. Soon displays will completely mimick the high contrast, low power consumption and flexibility of real ink. This will cause a revolution in computer user interface design. This revolution marks a final frontier for Human-Computer Interaction: one in which interactive computer displays can have any organic form or shape, rather than the rigid technological surfaces of DynaBook. One where the shape of the computer is the input device. One where any object, no matter how complex, dynamic or flexible its structure, can display information. This new paradigm of Organic User Interface (OUI) requires a new set of design guidelines.

The proposed research is to study the design of Organic User Interfaces from an engineering, design and empirical standpoint. As part of this project, students will work with some of the world’s top designers to design new user interfaces based on new form factors allowed by flexible OLED display technologies. These forms will be related to product design, rather than conventional flat panel computer forms. Some example form factors will include flexible e-book readers, spherical displays and actuated display technologies. In future products the physical shape of the computer will communicate its functionality through physical affordances. This allows users to deduce function by examining physically possible interactions with shape. As the function of the device changes, so should its shape. OUIs may embody form factors that are similar to clothing, or biological life forms, in that they are flexible and multifunctional.

As part of the project team, you will be responsible for designing and building hardware prototypes, as well as for designing and implementing software interaction techniques for these prototypes. You will subsequently be working with a team of expert usability specialists to evaluate the designs using known empirical methods.

Application Criteria
The applicant will have a Master’s degree and strong interest and background in human factors, computer science, industrial design, cognitive science or electrical engineering. Interest (and preferably experience) in two of the three areas of hardware engineering, software design and empirical research is required. Applications must also meet the regular admission criteria and will undergo the regular admissions process for the PhD program.

Funding
The School of Computing will provide support to all admitted students for a period of four years. The level of support will be competitive with that offered by other Canadian universities, and may consist of a combination of grant, research assistantship, and teaching assistantship.

Information and Application
The deadline for applications is January 15, 2009.
Late applications may be considered as time and resources permit.
Please contact Dr. Roel Vertegaal at roel [ at ] cs.queensu.ca for further information about the project.
Please tag your email with the subject line “PhD Positions”.

About the Human Media Lab
The Human Media Lab is one of Canada’s premier laboratories for high-tech research in Human Computer Interaction. It employs a growing team of 8 students, that will be housed in our new headquarters, designed by world-famous designer Karim Rashid. The Human Media Lab is part of the School of Computing, one of the top five departments in Computing in Canada. Queen’s University is consistently ranked the top 2 university in Canada, according to Maclean’s magazine and other polls.

Links
For more information about the Human Media Lab, visit http://www.humanmedialab.org
For an iTunesU intro on HML visit http://tinyurl.com/yga7ujy

For an award-winning Discovery Channel documentary on research at the Human Media Lab:

http://watch.discoverychannel.ca/clip162244#clip162244

For more information about Organic User Interfaces visit http://www.organicui.org

Information about the School of Computing’s PhD program and the application procedure:

http://www.cs.queensu.ca/students/graduate/

http://www.queensu.ca/sgs/Prospectivestudents/thinkingofapplying.html

Information about Queen’s University and living in Kingston, Ontario:

http://www.queensu.ca/

http://tourism.kingstoncanada.com/

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