Computer Science
2015 Gibbons Memorial Lecture Series
In association with the Institute of IT Professionals NZ
Although now living symbiotically, humans and computers remain poles apart. We are thoughtful and emotional, but slow and error prone with computation. They are thoughtless, without emotion, but extremely fast. Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) that bridges this gap has involved techniques that range from those we may now regard as ridiculous – such as punching holes in card or paper – to those we currently regard as truly sublime – such as controlling machines by our thoughts alone. HCI remains a fascinating area of research and development.
In this series of lectures, Professor Mark Apperley from The University of Waikato leads with a talk that describes the progress that has been made globally. Our Dr Beryl Plimmer outlines research into making computers easier and more natural to use. Paul McGlashan, Chief Architect at Air New Zealand, deals with the topic of interaction from the viewpoint of an enterprise interfacing directly with the public. Finally, Professor Mark Billinghurst, founder of the University of Canterbury HIT-lab, describes some of their leading-edge research and expectations for the future.
Schedule
Professor Mark Apperley
Department of Computer Science
The University of Waikato
May 7: Beyond Touch: using everyday tools as input devices
Dr Beryl Plimmer
Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science
The University of Auckland
May 14: Innovation in Airline Human Computer Interaction: from ALC to IoT
Paul McGlashan
Chief Architect
Air New Zealand
May 21: From Interaction to Understanding
Professor Mark Billinghurst
Human Interface Laboratory New Zealand
The University of Canterbury
All of the talks are Thursdays at 6.30pm, with the public invited from 6pm for refreshments. The venue is room 260-092 on level-0 of the Owen Glenn building on Grafton Road (ample parking is available under this building.)
