The Computer is Operated with Both Hands
Computer project at the University of Aarhus attracts international attention
Two of the largest computer companies in the world, Hewlett-Packard and
Microsoft, find a new project at the University of Aarhus so interesting
that they support it financially.
More explicitly, it is a project at the Department of Computer Science and the purpose of the project is, among other things, to develop completely new ways of operating a computer. For example, a method is applied, by which the user operates a mouse with one hand and a so-called track ball with the other. This enables the user to work more naturally and up to 40 % faster when constructing complicated graphical models. A track ball could be compared with a mouse that has been turned upside down.
- It is surprising how fast the technique of using both hands can be learned, says Professor Kurt Jensen from the Devise group. He compares it with the technique of a capable tailor. The tailor can move a pattern over the cloth with one hand while drawing with the other. At the Department of Computer Science, however, the entire work process takes place on a computer screen. Here, for example, the user can choose both object and function on the screen in one single process, which formerly had to be done in two phases.
The immediate goal of the project is to develop a user interface for the construction of simulation models. Such models are used for designing new computer systems.
The results are generally applicable
The project is expected to run for two years and has 10 researchers. Apart
from funds from Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft, the project also gets
financial support from the Danish National Centre for IT Research. The
software which is developed in support of the new operation methods, is
generally applicable and can therefore be used for other kinds of computer
systems, independently of whether they use a Unix, Macintosh or Windows
platform. This is one of the reasons why the two large companies have
interest in the Aarhus project. The support from Microsoft is, among other
things, used to make the new software COM compatible so that it can
communicate and exchange data with other programs on the Windows platform.
The project forms an essential part of the development of future IT systems where programs reflect the context in which they appear. It means that the objects which the programs deal with, e.g., ships and containers, can be identified as objects in the IT systems and be handled directly by the users of the systems.
The project is carried out by the Devise group, a cooperation between three different research groups at the University of Aarhus. The Human-Machine Interaction group contributes with the expertise within interaction methods and user interfaces. The research group within the object oriented language, BETA, contributes with the programming language and the programming environments which are used for the implementation. Finally, the Coloured Petri Net group contributes with the theory behind the simulation software which is developed.
The Department of Computer Science already hosts a centre, established with funding from Hewlett-Packard and the Danish National Centre for IT Research. So far, the centre has funding for four years and has approximately 15 employees. By means of an endowment from Hewlett-Packard, a research professorship has been established at the centre. The leader of the centre, Kurt Jensen, Dr. scient, has been appointed to the professorship.
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