Human-Centric Computing in Three Dimensions :: Essays Papers

Human-Centric Computing in Three Dimensions The object of any project designated as â€Å"human-centric† is to make computers more accessible to humans, and not to make humans more accessible to computers. It seems that in the twentieth century computers have developed and become slightly easier to use, but no more accessible than they were when they were first invented. This has become a problem, since using a computer is nothing more than using a few mechanisms that are not naturally used by humans, such as a keyboard, mouse, and monitor. Efforts have begun, though, to change the trend, making computers more natural for humans to use. There are many methods of making them more natural, such as voice-recognition, and even simpler items, such as more advanced search engines for the internet. Another good example of the new human-centric projects is an attempt to use recent technological advancements in three-dimensional graphics to make computers more user-friendly. All of these ideas can be brought to gether using new technology, but only if humans direct their progress towards the human-centric instead of techno-centric. One of these new three-dimensional attempts to make computers more human-centric is called Farsight nV, a project by the nVidia Corporation and the Quantum 3D Corporation. This project is utilizing the power of software and hardware made by the nVidia Corporation and integrating these elements into military and civilian vehicles. By using elements such as Synthetic Vision and â€Å"Highway in the Sky† flight guidance, the project will make vehicles safer and easier to use, all while enhancing the methods that humans use to interact with the computers embedded in the vehicles. These two elements utilize the latest enhancements and technology in the three-dimensional graphics field and make all of the menus and information the computers display many times easier to read and much more comprehensive for the user. The project will benefit humans â€Å"†¦by bringing the power of nVidia technologies into the cockpit and onto the dashboard-- greatly benefiting ev eryone who needs real-time 3D information while moving through the world." (Qtd. in Quantum3D and nVidia Announce Farsight nV Program). A second project centered on the same goal is taking place at the University of Utah.