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Computer Interaction in Science Fiction Movies
MidVicious writes "From futuristic 'Punch Cards' to Voice Recognition HoloDeck Interfaces, human/computer interactions have always mirrored the base concepts of our emerging technologies. An article from a Saarland University CS Seminar highlights Hollywood history with UI, ranging from the moderately feasible (Total Recall's television/scenery display wall) to the often ridiculous (Swordfish's 6-flat screen monitor setup complete with 3-D virus-hacking environment). An interesting read, especially considering some of the technology is on its way to becoming a reality."
It's like, yeah, that's really how I configure iptables or add a server cert to Apache.
Parity: What to do when the weekend comes.
This is a Unix system! I know this!
The computer in Alien (the first in the series) was unrealistic - not because of the artificial intelligence or natural-language processing, but because of the cumbersome way commands were entered and the unnecessary tekno-futurism of the computer room. Still, it was really good at helping the conspiratorial mood of the movie, and it is still one of my favorites in terms of fictional computers. I think the Star Trek TNG computers were probably the best depiction of how computers should be.
The English word fart is one of the oldest words in the English vocabulary.
It wasn't the six panels that was ridiculous, it was the additional peripheral the hacker had to deal with during his job interview.
Am i the only one who notices punching keys is all they do in movies? even tho they have a graphical UI
The claim that something similar to the system depicted in swordfish is ridiculous, is on itself ridiculous. Multi-monitors are nothing new; even ordinary PC users with a decent graphic-card can already link two. Currently, there are already systems which can handle *more* then 6 screens.
And as far as the 3D goes:
"HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. -- August 9, 2004
Sharp Systems of America, a division of Sharp Electronics Corporation, today introduced the Sharp LL-151-3D display, Sharp's first stand-alone display that features Sharp's 3D LCD Technology. This exciting 15-inch 3D LCD monitor delivers eye-popping 3D images to the naked eye, and can be easily switched between 2D and 3D viewing for standard applications such as spreadsheets, word processing or email. "
Note the date. It's not even Sci-fi anymore.
--- "To pee or not to pee, that is the question." ---
which consists of 6 flatscreen monitors of common size put together and probably supposed to be used as an enhanced display.
Great speech from a guy who can't count past 6!
"Don't meddle in the affairs of a patent dragon, for thou art tasty and good with ketchup." ~ohcrapitssteve
I want a monitor that will project the text I'm typing onto my face.
...but is it art?
Lets also not forget those great glass monitors used in Minority Report. All one has to do is look at how interaction is working with the Wii. The use of gloves with motion detection is already a reality. The only piece left is the see through monitors. I would love to have one of those.
TheTiminator
After the attempt at Bob and then Clippy I wonder if Douglas Adams predicted where Microsoft will be 200 years from now? Are they the real Sirius Cybernetics? If so how long do I have to wait for my very own Marvin? ...........Now that I think about it hopefully a very very long time.
"The conceptual fault here is that the controls of the machine are exactly the opposite of a human-centered design, since user has to work for the device to make it run."
That's the God DAMN POINT, fool.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
You should see this video (204 MB MPEG4) of a 23C3 Speech/Screening featuring biometric interfaces in SciFi movies.
A mildly nightmarish array of pins that extended from hyrdraulic cylinders, connected to a mux and central pump system, would probably work just fine. The naieve implementation would have all pins either extending or receeding at once, but if you had two valves per pin, you could simultaneously raise and lower individual pins. Encoders could check the height of each pin, and then the whole thing would just be a representation of a heightmap.
I don't think the X-Men display features any color, so this is probably doable today. If memory serves, this kind of display was also in the original Myst game.
Given the title of the "paper" and given that he knows how to use references, he could at least admit which luminary in the field of HCI he has stolen the idea from.
Somehow the way comm badges work in Star Trek doesn't make any sense. Take the scenario which is frequently done on the show:
(1) Enterprise bridge crew is watching an away team's planet survey on the main viewscreen. Captain Piccard decides to ask Commander Riker (who is on the away team) a question.
(2) Scene cuts to the planet. You see Riker with his away team. Suddenly you hear Piccard's voice on Riker's comm badge "Piccard to Riker: Report!"
Now tell me this... In this scenario, Piccard supposedly hails Riker and even though there is no "routing" done with the message beforehand, Piccard's entire vocal request automatically goes to Riker and ONLY Riker, though everyone on the away team has a comm badge. In fact, you hear the initial request for Riker on his own badge. Did the comm badge psychically know to message Riker solely at the instant Piccard clicked his comm badge to transmit?
Those who laugh at you for you having a Mac.. are the people who constantly call you to fix their PC.
I don't think the X-Men display features any color, so this is probably doable today.
I would almost feel sorry for anyone who went through the trouble of building one, without running fiber optics up each pin. The color part should be easy compared to the hydraulics part.
We are all just people.
In all these movies, they are a joke.
I mean, I cannot find a proper cable and even then I need to dig out 3 gender changers and a break-out box. These guys can I/F with some computer port from a different civilization using the same RS-232 port and a TTL voltage. Amazing! If only we the same interoperability here on planet Earth.
here's what the stupid article says about Metropolis : "The conceptual fault here is that the controls of the machine are exactly the opposite of a human-centered design, since user has to work for the device to make it run."
Duh ! That was the point of the movie !
Apparently the nipple isn't so intuitive.
They forgot Earth: Final Conflict. The 3d movement interface in flying the shuttles were interesting. Of course if it was not a woman pilot, would the movements be the same?
Fight Spammers!
This game takes it the other way round. It takes a movie style interface and give the the impression you are "hacking" into corporate computers. Pretty entertaining (And it has a Linux Version yay)
Main Site:
http://www.introversion.co.uk/uplink/
Review at Home of the Underdogs:
http://www.the-underdogs.info/game.php?id=3044
Something tells me that they didn't quite grasp the concepts at work in some of these films, like criticising the metropolis interface for making the 'user' work. The workers in metropolis weren't users, and they didn't interface with the machines, they were slaves to the machines and just carried out the machines instructions, they didn't have any input, they just performed physical labour acording to the machines instructions. The clock thing was like a relay, but with a person doing the physical labour. They seemed to miss the whole point of that scene.
What if Tetris was invented by Nazis?
I know, I know... I am as comfortable in front of csh and piping through awk and sed as most folks are with playing video games. Today, as part of the normal day-to-day crap, I wrote a 15 line perl script without referring to a manual, that formatted a bunch of data and made it all pretty for a browser. My co-workers can all do this.
I'm also big into making films. Much as I want to join the chorus and laugh at the totally unrealistic interfaces, I do realize something: most people don't know and don't care. To them, this is how they see computers. When I type up some bizarre iptables ruleset it's about as clear to them as Swahili is to a goat in Uganda. For the director it's a matter of balancing the telling of the story with realism. This is *tough* to do.
BTW, someone once said that it's better to blame stupidity/laziness/ignorance than malice. I realized this all too clearly when I had to shoot 4 actors. One was *extremely* difficult to light because of his skin tones to the point that I ended up cutting him out of the shot entirely. My ignorance probably contributes to the idea that directors/producers don't highlight certain actors. It's not malice, just that I'm not experienced enough to do it properly. Certainly not an excuse for professionals though... The same thing with computers.. Film guys are not necessarily computer guys (though there's a lot of overlap).
Hello Computer?? ***maybe you should use the keyboard*** ... Ah yes, how quaint.
Which is why this product is truly the pinnacle of human-computer interfaces.
The English word fart is one of the oldest words in the English vocabulary.
I'm dropping out of society if this ever becomes a standard interface for any system.
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No references to Masamune Shirow's Ghost in the Shell? Virtual user interfaces, data storage in cybernetic memory, inter-human message exchanging via wireless... we're getting there.
For the first year after I had MS Windows on my computer, I did not have a mouse on my system. It is entirely possible that they know what they are doing with keyboard shortcuts, and therefore do not need a mouse.
Two observations: On the Aliens IV "breath" authentication; I think more credit needs to be given besides novelty. Feasibility notwithstanding, this would be one of the few biometric methods where the authenticator needs to be alive and *breathing*. I found this concept intriguing and it does show some thought on how to have a system that at least cannot be fooled by a chopped off hand, plucked eyeball, or easily recorded voice. OTOH not being able to get through a door because of your last, garlic laden, meal does pose some problems. :D Second, with the Nebuchadnezzar approach scene in "The Matrix: Reloaded" I understood the controller to be jacked into a mini-matrix enviroment (like the training scenes) with the 'display' being a VR. I think the article implies they think it was some sort of 3D display.
I was watching an episode of Eureka the other night where the trapped people in the automated house were asked, "Shall we play a game?" by the house's temporarily evil software. The characters all said (in increasing tones of concern/panic), "No!"
It was extremely funny as a reference to Wargames. I find Eureka to be very entertaining. YMMV.
[I am a fan of ReGenesis and Dexter also -TV is not a total wasteland]
The worst hollywood interface im>ho was minority report's. His arms are flailing this way and that over a basically 2D screen. It was wide and things were stacked, but the size is the only part that is novel. How tired would you be if you spent a day, even an hour doing those gyrations. Imagine using that interface with just one arm, or sitting in a wheelchair. He could have just as easily been sitting down and clicking and dragging with a mouse up on the wide projection screen. Pretty, yes. But not practical for anything longer than the scenes we saw him use it. There was a Micheal Douglas movie that had a equally stupid interface. He put on a VR helm and gloves to control VR hands open VR drawers and sift through VR folders. Why make an interface that mimics the OLD way of doing something?
Utilizing the synergization of benchmark e-solutions to pre-workaround action items!