A New Sort of Calculator

January 10, 2007
2:50 pm - 4:00 pm
Halligan 111
Speaker: Harold Thimbleby, Swansea University, UK
Host: Rob Jacob

Abstract

Handheld calculators are familiar gadgets, but they are hard to use reliably. We have invented a completely new sort of calculator that is very easy to use, much more powerful, more reliable in principle, and - best of all - great fun to use. People smile and laugh when they use it! Better still, when we used it in math exams, students scored 100% instead of the 60% when using their own standard handheld calculators.

This seminar will demonstrate the new calculator and explain its design principles. It will be of interest to anyone using calculators, computers, handhelds, etc. The new style of interaction has many other applications beyond calculators.

Harold Thimbleby is Professor of Computer Science at Swansea University, Wales. He is Director of the Future Interaction Technology Lab. His latest book, Press On (MIT Press), will be published in 2007.