With the industry-changing success of Nintendo’s Wii, swiftly followed by the intriguing possibilities of Microsoft’s Xbox Kinect, ‘physical interface’ and motion sensing input has suddenly become a mainstream reality for gamers, in what few analysts predicted just 5 years ago.
So now that the technology has hit the high streets, it seems strange to me that there’s no obvious equivalent, either for computers or in the healthcare environment.
It’s already possible using Kinect hardware on a pc. The then dazzling motion sensing user interface used by Tom Cruise in Spielberg’s 2002 hit Minority Report is now very much a reality. Given the amount of geek-love that scene received upon release, surely it won’t be long before motion sensing challenges the mouse as the king of input devices in applications more serious than gaming?
Tom Cruise gets physical in Minority Report
But maybe not. Since it was developed in 1968, the mouse has since-prevailed for its sheer practicality, its cost, its accuracy and – unlike gesture-based systems – the need to literally not raise a finger to use it (rather, you depress it). Yet, right now, the humble mouse seems a quicker, and more ergonomically sound way of navigating your computer.
Yet it took some time for the mouse to reach dominance. Perhaps it will also take time for the software, hardware and design-ethic to align sufficiently to make full use of motion sensing.
The same pattern was evident with touch interface. The first touch screen was described in 1965. Yet a mass market-suitable version was not available until much later. In 2001, Bill Gates predicted what were then quaintly known as ‘tablets’ to be the most popular form of PC by 2006. Gates was out by 5 years (and counting). But, needless to say, Apple’s iPad has proven the concept works for mobile use.
The first mouse (right) and cursor (left)
And this brings us to healthcare. Many doctors tend to work in mobile environments. ‘Tablets’ connect the dots between information and reality. They bring interactive patient data to the clinic floor. Not only that, but the vast array medical reference tools now available are proving to be hugely popular – both with medics in training and practicing doctors.
And why wouldn’t they? A job where you need huge amounts of complex information at your finger tips, on the move, and sometimes with little time to make important decisions. Expect to see touch pads stay in medical environments. Remarkably, research suggests that some 75% of physicians in the U.S own an apple device. Talk about a new market.
Studies have also indicated differences in use between the different specialities, both in terms of prevelance of use, and in preferred device. These should all be considerations when formulating a digital strategy in the healthcare arena. Of course, sales reps are mobile too, and e-detail aids are fast becoming the norm in pharma marketing, though rep visits will also be key for some. Another case of mobile touch pads providing the answer.
But I digress. How will the ‘tablet’ evolve if motion interface becomes integrated too? And what about desktop PCs? Gaming has already seen a glut of highly successful motion-based fitness games, with Nintendo again showing the way in the form of WiiFit.
Mainstream software, mobile or not, could take on – literally – a whole new dimension if developers have access to this hardware. Whether this manifests as better user interface, or other novel uses, remains to be seen. But it seems likely that such a change would eventually impact doctors and reps – perhaps as much as touch and mobile is already doing.
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