My definition of interaction is a cyclic process requiring at least two objects that have effects on each other, which can be regarded as the communication between two objects through a loop of inputs and outputs. According to Crawford’s article, The Art of Interaction Design, interaction must have three parts: input, process, and output (5). In this case, one of the objects’ effect should be regarded as the input and the others’ effect should be regarded as the output of the interaction.
One interactive project which aligns my definition better is RAMPS, which is a wheelchair based DJ interface created when designers John Schimmel, Wlodek Koss, and Tristan Perich met disabled rapper E$. This project is like a wheelchair-shaped DJ turntable. The person who sits in the wheelchair can interact with the music by moving the wheel. And it’s like what DJ does in clubs. This project quite fits my definition of interaction because the movement of the wheel can be regarded as the input and the change of the music is the output. Furthermore, the user will do more changes depending on the music. In this circumstance, the music becomes the input and the further actions of the user become the output of interaction. Thus, the actions of interaction continuously occur between the user and the music. In this sense, the cyclic process is developed in this project.
One interactive project that doesn’t align my definition is Short ++, which is a pair of robotic platform shoes worn by artist Adi Marom. This project is basically a pair of shoes that can change the height of the shoes to make the person look taller. The only interactive part of this project is that you may click a button to change the height of the shoes. However, except for this part, there is no more interaction between you and the shoes. The so-called cyclic process also doesn’t exist in this project. Maybe the possible further interaction could be the communication between you and those who see you wearing this but not between you and the shoes itself. Thus, this project aligns less with my definition.
Our group is the third group that made the Heal-O-Matic Machine, which is an assistant machine telling you what’s wrong with your body and giving you the medication. Our idea is that if people are sick or get injured not too severely, they don’t need to go to the hospital. They can find a Heal-O-Matic and the machine will dispense the proper medication for you by sensing your body condition. The general idea of our project is to improve people’s lives and make our lives more convenient and easier in the future. As for the interactive part, it also fits my definition of interaction. When the machine is sensing your body condition, all the information about your body, such as your blood type, and your body temperature, is the input of interaction. After processing all the information, the machine will dispense the proper medication, which is the output of interaction. After taking the medication, your body condition has changed. When you use the machine again, the input will change so that the machine will also dispense different medications as the output. In this sense, the process of interaction between you and the machine would continue until you get completely cured. In this sense, this process aligns with the cyclic precess in my definition. In addition, the machine also contains an artificial intelligence voice assistant. It would tell you the medication plan depending on your body condition at that time. And what it says actually motivates the user to give their feedback as well, which also promotes the continuity of interaction between the user and the machine. In conclusion, our project embodies our understanding of interaction and shows the prototype of the life in the future. Even though this project only requires us to make a prototype, the whole process indeed lets us explore the meaning of interaction. As I learn more in this course, I can discover more information and knowledge behind the word “interaction”. And I’m looking forward to exploring more about interaction in this class.