Unbound Human-Machine Interfaces for Interaction in Weightless Environments

Abstract

User interfaces are subject to the rules of physics (e.g., Newton and Archimedes' laws) relevant to the environment they are in. As such, most interfaces and interaction techniques have been designed for Earth surface. However, when interacting with technology in weightless environments, such as in space, both human and machine will be subject to different physical constraints. For instance, underwater or in Space, people can experience spatial disorientation, which will in turn affect how they use a system. This position paper conceptualizes unbound Human-Machine Interfaces (HMIs) as interfaces where either, or both, human and machine are located beyond Earth surface. In particular, it describes how traditional HCI needs to be rethought for interaction in weightless environments and how theoretical models such as joint cognition can support future developments of unbound interfaces.