Browsing by Author "Hill, David R."

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    A Microcomputer-based knee controller
    (1988) Campbell, Michelle Marie; Hill, David R.
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    Alberta, information technology and the proposed national microelectronics facility
    (1983-02-01) Hill, David R.; Hope, G.; Kendall, J.
    This paper outlines the background to current national and provincial research and development initiatives in VLSI design and fabrication. After identifying the four enabling technologies underlying the Information Revolution, and briefly explaining the nature of VLSI, the paper goes to show the close parallels between the previous Industrial Revolution and the current Information Revolution. It is noted that we have just reached the same critical development stage of 'inventing the machine to make machines'. The importance of VLSI and related topics to the survival of modern nations is spelled out. The current major bottlenecks in developing this important enabling technology (VLSI) are identified as lying in design manpower, design software, and mask making. In Canada the situation is particularly acute. It is noted that the current recession has, paradoxically, opened a 'window' in time, during which Canada, and partcularly Alberta, can take steps to participate fully in the benefits to be expected from establishing high tech industries based on the Information Revolution, and in particular on VLSI and the related software enabling technologies. Some initiatives have already been taken. What more needs to be done is spelled out within the international, national, and Albertan contexts.
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    An editor for trees
    (1980) Neal, Radford M.; Hill, David R.
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    A BIBLIOGRAPHY ON HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION
    (1984-10-01) Hill, David R.
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    A Conceptionary for Speech & Hearing in the Context of Machines and Experimentation
    (1978) Hill, David R.
    A conceptionary, like a dictionary, is useful in learning the meanings of words. Unlike a dictionary, it is designed to make the reader work a little, and to develop a conceptual framework for the subject of the conceptionary. It is not an encyclopaedia, though it has as one function, in new or interdisciplinary areas, the drawing together and reconciliation of disparate sources. Like Marmite, it is designed to be nutritious and highly concentrated. Do not be put off by the consequent strong flavour, especially in the more extreme sections. The syntax is correct, if complicated. The author wished to thank Mr. R.L. Jenkins for his careful reading of the manuscript and many useful comments and corrections, while laying sole claim to any errors, omissions, or lack of clarity that remain. Updated copies of this report may be found here: At Dr. Hill's Homepage.
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    DEBUG: a tool for program debugging and understanding
    (1985) Lukey, Trevor; Hill, David R.
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    Designing for human-computer interaction: some rules and their derivation
    (1984-05-01) Hill, David R.
    This document comments on the upsurge in interest in providing better ways for people to interact with information processing systems. After pointing out that the programmer is also a user, it sets down structured principles and rules for designing better human-computr interfaces, with an indication of the considerations on which each rule is based. Two supporting documents are associated with this one. An informal discussion of some of the issues and steps involved in designing human-computer interfaces appears in Dialogue design notes (D.R. Hill 1984), and there is also A bibliography on human-computer interaction (D.R. Hill 1984), to which references refer.
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    DIALOGUE DESIGN NOTES
    (1984-10-01) Hill, David R.
    This document presents an informal discussion of some of the issues and steps in dialogue design. It is intended to be read in conjunction with Designing for human-computer interaction: some rules and their derivation (D.R. Hill 1984) and A bibliography on human-computer interaction (D.R. Hill 1984).
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    AN EXPERIMENT ON THE PERCEPTION OF INTONATIONAL FEATURES
    (Elsevier, 1976-08-01) Hill, David R.; Reid, Neal A.
    An experiment was run in which listeners heard pairs of nonsense words exhibiting the same segmental structure, but differing in the form of pitch variation imposed. In each pair, the first word bore a pitch rise over 100 msecs superimposed upon a generally declining pitch frequency, while the second word carried a similar variation, but with the rise occurring later. Listeners made a forced choice response of "SAME" or "DIFFERENT". The null hypothesis, that listeners' ability to discriminate pairs as different would be independent of the mean position of the pitch rises, was rejected with great confidence and, subject to several caveats, the conclusion was drawn that position of ptich rise, under the conditions of the experiment, was perceived categorically, one category being early in the syllable and the other late. There was some evidence for the existence of two further catagories. The generalization and extension of the work will provide a continuing challenge.
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    FINAL REPORT OF THE JADE HUMAN-COMPUTER SYSTEMS GROUP
    (1985-11-01) Hill, David R.
    This report summarises the participation of the Human-Computer Systems (HCS) group members in the Jade project which ran from November 1982 to October 1985. On the downside: (a) the Jade HCS group comprised mostly people with no HCS experience; (b) conflicting goals within Jade dictated a split within the project that re-inforced a natural division of interests; (c) restricted resources and necessary priorities meant the allocation of effort to the HCS work was low; (d) speedy implementation dictated avoidance of just those problems that would stimulate research; (e) it proved impossible to produce an objective definition of the user and the user's needs; (f) the group did not press hard for tools development within Jade. On the upside: (a) the group promoted communication by open meetings and a willingness to consider all viewpoints; (b) a pragmatic approach was adopted to problems of conflict; (c) significant new research was carried out into a variety of diverse and important problems under the umbrella of the Multimedia Adaptive Workstation for the Disabled (MAWD) project; (d) an excellent Jade User Manual was produced; (e) a succinct statement of practical dialogue design principles was laid down; (f) significant extra funding was generated (76,000) and (g) a number of refereed research publications were published together with a variety of internal reports. The HCS group experience was very similar to that reported by similar groups involved in similar projects. The problem of the programmer as a user remains an unsolved problem. Jade itself has been a big experiment, and we are still collecting data.
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    THE HUMAN AS AN INFORMATION PROCESSOR
    (1985-04-01) Hill, David R.
    Human progress and uniqueness are both founded, in practical terms, on an ability to process information effectively. In less tangible, but equally visible terms humans have been distinguished by their humanity; such specifically human traits as altruism, self-sacrifice, love, and faith. It is no accident that benevolence is a synonym for humanity. In contempory times, progress (in the guise of scientific discovery and development, and their engineering application) has, for some, eroded the notion of human uniqueness: (a) partly by 'explaining' the universe and apparently, thereby, denying the need for God and any special relationship He might have with humanity; (b) partly by explaining the human as a purely physical mechanism lacking any intangible component or vital spark; and (c) partly by creating increasingly sophisticated replacements for supposedly unique human talents. This paper considers the relationship between humans and their artifacts, and attempts to justify the view of the human as an information processor. The paper goes on to examine the implications of that view for our ideas of human uniqueness in the contempory world, especially a world in which the current epoch is described as the Information Revolution. An information revolution would seem to impinge directly on humanity's private preserve both by challenging human uniqueness, and by threatening to render humans redundant within the society they have created. The conclusions are that people continue to make exaggerated claims on behalf of science, including information technology, and that humans will continue to be unique as purposeful, spiritual beings. However, this is no reason for complacency. There is too much wrong with the human community. As computers do for brains what steam engines and the like did for muscles, we must bend our unique humanity to the benefit of humanity. If we fail in this we shall truly cease to be human.
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    INTERACTING WITH FUTURE COMPUTERS
    (1986-02-01) Hill, David R.
    Many problems that have to be solved in present day human-computer interfaces arise from technology limitations, quite apart from those arising from lack of appropriate knowledge. Some of the progress we see in the most recently developed interfaces has occurred simply because bit-mapped screens, large memories, colour, compute-power appropriate to local intelligence, and the like, have all become inexpensive at the same time as rising human costs have finally been appreciated, and deprecated, by those who pay the bills. The new technical possibilities, and the now obvious economic advantages of providing good interactive computer support to enhance human productivity in all areas of endeavour has created tremendous pressure to improve the human-computer interface. This pressure, in turn, has dramatically highlighted our lack of fundamental knowledge and methodologies concerning interactive systems design, human problem solving, interaction techniques, dialogue prototyping and management, and system evaluation. The design of human computer interfaces is still more of an art than a science. Furthermore, the knowledge and methodologies that do exist often turn out to fall short of what is needed to match computer methods or to serve as a basis for detailed algorithm design. The paper addresses a mixed audience in reviewing the background and current state of human-computer interaction, in touching on the social and ethical responsibility of the designer, and in picking out some of the central ideas that seem likely to shape the development of interaction and interface design in future computer systems. It suggests areas in which advances in fundamental knowledge and in our understanding of how to apply that knowledge seem to be needed to support interaction in future computer systems. Such systems are seen as having their roots in the visionary work of Sutherland (1963), Englebart (1968), Kay (1969), Winograd (1970), Hansen (1971), Papert (1973), Foley and Wallace (1974), and D.C. Smith (1975). Their emphasis on natural dialogue, ease of use for the task, creativity, problem solving, appropriate division of labour and powerful machine help available in the user's terms will still be crucial in the future. However, the ability to form, communicate, manipulate and use models effectively will come to dominate interaction with future computer systems as the focus of interactive systems shifts to knowledge-based performance. Human-computer interaction must be regarded as the amplification of an individual's intellectual productivity by graceful determination and satisfaction of every need that is amenable to algorithmic solution, without any disturbance of the overall problem solving process.
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    The Interactive Dialogue Driver: a UNIX tool
    (1983-11-01) Hill, David R.; Irving, Graham
    This paper reports initial results in a project whose objective is to provide suitable tools for interactive dialogue design and implementation in the UNIX Version 4.2 operating system environment. The Interactive Dialogue Driver (IDD) is a terminal-oriented dialogue design and implementation aid that allows the user easy access to the system facilities needed to circumvent normal UNIX input/output control, and manage real-time interaction. It also supplies a framework and language for structured dialogue design that has the potential to provide portability for applications and to allow different styles of interface to run on the same basic applications package.
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    Investigations into the use of a computer as an artistic medium
    (1979) Sveinson, Norma Lynn; Hill, David R.
    This thesis is based on the belief that science and art are not necessarily 'two cultures', but can be combined successfully as a result of their inescapable influences upon each other. A justification of this position is presented with emphasis on artistic investigations using the computer. The machine's merits are viewed not only as a means of mass communication or of producing pictures, but also as a potential modelbuilder for the formalization of aesthetic concepts . The work completed was concerned with the possibilities inherent in using computer plotted output to answer questions similar to those which an artist poses in manual drawings or paintings, particularly the question of 'readability of surface'. The answers to such questions are not unique but the purpose of the system was to find an answer using computer output. An account of the program parameters and methods used to produce the plotted drawings is given and the results discussed. A pilot investigation into the development of an interactive system for the purpose of examining basic Design concepts (the word design will, throughout the thesis, be capitalized when used to refer to the area of Fine Art known as Design) was begun and is outlined and discussed. Finally the thesis conclusions are brought forward and recommendations made for future developments. The work has fulfilled the expectations of the artist for stimulation from new alternatives and for generating a type of drawing that could not be produced by hand. The results are encouraging in their support of the interrelationship between science and art.
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    JADE: a distributed software prototyping environment
    (1983-04-01) Witten, Ian H.; Birtwistle, Graham M.; Cleary, John; Hill, David R.; Levinson, Danny; Lomow, Greg; Neal, Radford; Peterson, Murray; Unger, Brian W; Wyvill, Brian
    The Jade research project is aimed at building an environment which comfortably supports the design, construction, and testing of distributed computer systems. This note is an informal project description which delimits the scope of the work and identifies the research problems which are tackled. Some design issues are discussed, and progress to date is described.
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    Making learning fun: a lesson from video games
    (1987) Jansonius, Corine (Corine Harmien), 1962-; Hill, David R.
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    MAN-COMPUTER COMMUNICATION
    (1978-05-01) Hill, David R.
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