How Advancements in Human Machine Interfaces (HMIs) are Changing the World

For as long as possible, communication has laid the foundation for a successful and innovative future. Whether it is the communication between people or a dialogue between a man and a machine. The output of growth has always relied on the input of a fascinating notion, and HMIs, or Human Machine Interfaces, have worked from time immemorial to make these interactions clearer.

The Human Machine Interface (HMI) idea is as old as the Industrial Revolution, the era of mass production. It highlights how humans have interacted with machines over the years, whether through switches, voice commands, or other new forms of interaction. As a result, we have seen many advancements in HMI throughout the years.

These interfaces have now evolved to become a part of our lives unprecedented way and are everywhere nowadays. Although we use HMIs for essential communication on our smartphones and laptops, business and industrial workplaces rely on HMIs for efficient end-to-end communication, productivity, error prevention, and data recording.

Discussing the man-machine interface raises two fundamental questions to the forefront:

How do we communicate with the machine?
How does the device communicate with us?

The answer is also a basic one: this “two-way communication” is achieved through various controls and displays.

An excellent human-machine interface should serve a time-saving, functional purpose. They are intended to increase productivity, improve uptime, and ensure consistent product quality for all their users. Because of this, HMIs are used in all types of industries, such as:

Automotive, Electronics, Entertainment, Energy, Food and Beverage, Manufacturing, Military, Medical, Oil and Gas, Power, Recycling, Robotics, Water and Wastewater

In the medical industry, HMIs are used for medical devices, equipment controls, keypads, and panels. Whereas in the entertainment industry, HMIs are used for broadcast displays, mixing equipment, and lighting control.

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Evolution of the Human-Machine Interface

The Push Button Era - In the 1900s, buttons, knobs, and sliders were used to build basic HMIs. Push buttons control devices such as lights, dials, and gauges. Every automobile or electronic instrument was manual and had a system hardware control with LEDs or a small display (7-segment display).
The GUI Era - It was in the 1980s when the personal computer, PCs, were introduced in the mass market. This was when the HMIs began to see a digital revolution unfold alongside the rest of the world. The graphical user interface (GUI) was introduced as a companion to this idea. A GUI is a computer-coded interface that we see on display. Now humans can operate any machine using a display, a keyboard, and a pointing device (such as a mouse or a Trackball). Later in the early 2000s, the Trackball was introduced on phones alongside buttons.
The Touch Screen Era - Next came the touch screen HMI. Button phones lost their hold when the smartphone entered the market. These touchscreen HMIs had a touchscreen, looked sleek, had Internet access, and made communication much more accessible than with regular phones. It wasn’t long until tablets, touchscreen laptops, digital laptops, smartboards, and intelligent televisions became famous, too. Even the smartwatches we wear today have touchscreen interfaces that work on the same principle. When you look around, you will understand how touchscreens play an important role in easing human-machine interaction. Today, Virtual assistants, LED displays, and voice command interfaces are the next big thing in the market. As these interfaces become the standard in the world around us, the world has also begun to adapt to newer technologies. There is no need to even touch the screen now. All you need to do is say your command, and your Voice Assistant will operate the device accordingly, such as controlling your house lights, temperature, and other home appliances. With advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), virtual assistants are improving daily. These virtual assistants can book tickets for you, order food, book a doctor’s appointment, and even send emails and messages without the need for manual labor. Even automobiles these days come with artificial intelligence-powered voice assistance and a vast touch screen infotainment system. Moreover, displays are getting upgraded by augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technology. In addition, researchers are already working on holographic displays that will also provide the sensation of touch to users in the next era of technology.
The Brain-Machine Interface Era – The world has already become magical with AI assistants and AR/VR everywhere. However, entrepreneurs like Elon Musk are taking a step ahead in researching and advancing human-machine interfaces every day. Neuralink, a brain-machine interface developed by Elon Musk, can let humans control machines just by thinking about the action. You have to think of the action. A chip implanted in your brain captures neural signals and converts them into system-understandable signals with the help of an Artificial Intelligence programme. This signal, in turn, will be sent to the devices over a network. So basically, you can play online games, control your PC, or any intelligent electronic device just by thinking about them. People with Neuralink implanted can talk without saying a word, that is, with the sheer power of their brain’s ability to think. Moreover, the concept has already been tested on monkeys and has yielded only positive results. In other words, Neuralink is the first concept of telepathy technology. Advancements in telepathy technology will enable people with mental and physical challenges to interact with machines without physical contact or Voice Assistance. For example, A disabled person will control an exoskeleton or a vehicle without any human aid.

New concepts in robotics and AI are pushing the limits of engineering

According to researchers, one of the significant drawbacks of artificial intelligence is the development of machine consciousness, akin to human consciousness, through self-improvement and the acquisition of knowledge unknown to humans. AIs could then exploit humans using these human-machine interfaces and wreak havoc in the world’s systems.

With further improvements in AI, we will see breakthrough advancements in the human-machine interface. Let’s see if it turns out to be a boon or a bane. The future of HMIs is limitless. Who knows what the future has in store for us?

At Markivis, we help businesses keep up with technological advancements and integrate them into their digital strategies. Contact us to learn how HMI innovations can benefit your business operations and customer experience.