Human-Computer Interaction revelation of Apple Watch

Editor's note: The author of this article is Yangqingshan, a heavy technology enthusiast, focusing on new hardware. He is maintaining two micro-credit technology knowledge (Kejixinzhi) and hardware re-invention (hard1024).

I believe that such a logic: the mainstream computing equipment in every form of change, inevitably accompanied by the decline in the difficulty of human-computer interaction. For example, since the advent of the mouse and Windows graphics interface, the PC began to become popular; the emergence of capacitive touch screens and ios/android mobile system platforms led to a spurt in smartphone growth.

Can you imagine a mainframe without a mouse, without a graphical interface, on a pure command line operating system, cursor positioning can only be through the keyboard around the next key to the pain? Can you imagine a 4-inch screen without capacitive touch, running a "mobile operating system" copied from a Windows desktop system, and using only the sharp objects such as a stylus or fingertip to click on a fucked up experience? We've all been through this, and it's amazing to look back.

Now, a similar situation has come: put the computer directly on the wrist. Smaller size, but the screen is also smaller, touch interaction one or two fingers on the screen, basically can not see anything else. Smart watch if you can get rid of such embarrassment, the user will be greatly increased acceptance of it.

Before, I've always thought that voice-interactive technology is the decisive force for wearable computing devices to be popular in the future. Why? Simpler and more intuitive than touch interaction, with only one microphone on the hardware and almost no side effects. However, the voice interaction behind the artificial intelligence, to achieve real natural language interaction, not only a speech recognition problem, there are understanding, logic, knowledge and rules of the outside world of rapid learning, such as artificial intelligence complete problem, need to break through the thing is too much.

Low recognition rate of speech, artificial intelligence is an extremely difficult subject, this is the status quo can not be changed. How exactly does a smart watch interact? The forerunners looked at Apple to solve the interactive problem of wearable devices. Apple Watchh out, how does it do?

It's still a touch screen gesture, but the screen is a little more sensitive to compressions. This is a very interesting idea. Smart watch small screen for the content of the app presents a very high demand, must be concise and concise, can remove the menu to remove the menu, you can skip the return key to save the return key. The screen presses the perception, utilizes the good to go except many designs "redundant", for instance replaces the application menu to identify the Exhale function option. At the press conference, it was also demonstrated that screen compressions can be used to exhale personalization settings.

Multiple design of a knob table crown into the Home button, click on the return to the main screen, press and hold a few seconds to automatically open Siri, rotation can be enlarged or sliding options. Keep watch classic design, but also for smart watch added a multi-function home button, this is the originality of it, especially the rotation amplification of this function, Apple Watch can be no finger occlusion rendering full screen content. But I think, in fact, it can have better alternative options.

I don't know if you're aware of that. Apple executives demonstrated the operation Knob Crown when they were not wearing Apple Watch: A hand fixed watch, one hand pinch knob, equipment dangling. This operation is more comfortable and intuitive, but when you really wear Apple Watch, you only have one hand, you can't fix your watch well, there's no way to hold the wrist, the precision of the action is higher, more difficult and harder, and people will try to use the Knob home button to return to touch interaction. In fact, you can design a small long touch pad can be pressed, whether on the dial above or to the right, a finger on the top slide to zoom in and out, press is to return to the main screen, a long time to press the Voice command call out. Long Touch plate contact with the finger area larger, press strength and feedback more comfortable, a finger slide can achieve magnification, not like the knob Crown to two fingers operation.

The human-computer interactive improvement shown by AppleWatch is basically a micro-innovation on hardware. Compared to the Moto 360 focus on deep customization of software and voice commands, Apple watch really can do better.

The Android Wear run by MOTO360 is a card-UI interface that also digs deep voice commands in addition to touch controls. You can customize a voice command to exhale an affiliate application The idea is really good, speech recognition is not able to do natural language interaction, we can do programming language interaction, reduce the difficulty so as to ensure the identification rate. In addition, Apple Watch as messy as the honeycomb of the main screen, on such a small screen to zoom in and slide view, I do not believe that there is no better solution.

It is expected that Apple will be able to detonate the smart watch market, at least for many manufacturers to guide the direction, especially in human-computer interaction solutions. Apple Watch has some bright spots in human-computer interaction, but it's disappointing, at least I think there are ways to do better.

At present, the intelligent watch may still be in the transition confused stage, the core of human-computer interaction difficulties, simple software or hardware on the promotion of the general effect. This is an opportunity, who can do the interactive software and hardware hybrid propulsion, it will be able to reap competitive advantage in the market.