Human Machine Interfaces
Why tactile hybrid control has a big part to play in the future of pro AV
Technologies that support Human Machine Interaction (HMI) are destined to bring greater efficiencies to all kinds of professional applications, writes Bazile Peter, global product manager – HMI solutions at Densitron
W
ith all the attention that has (understandably) been given to trends such as 8K, it has occasionally been
overlooked that another quiet technology revolution has been taking place in recent years. I refer to the rise of Human Machine Interaction (HMI), which is a suitably broad bracket for describing a wealth of exciting developments that involve tactile interaction between people and electronic technologies. As a company with a keen interest in HMI, it would not be surprising for me to declare that it has massive potential across the professional world. However, even a cursory look at recent projects confirms its reach. From broadcast production to sports facilities, music venues and houses of worship, the responsive control benefits of HMI are resonating with more and more customer groups.
To understand why this represents such a profound shift, it’s necessary to look in more detail at some of the underlying technologies. And from our perspective, that means looking – quite literally – under the glass and a concept known as ‘Glass 4.0’, which refers to the application of a glass surface in such a way that human operators can interact effectively with electronic technologies. Moreover, with the inclusion of smart ‘layers’ for haptic control, the glass surface can provide a fully hybrid solution for viewing video or audio levels and other information, and an array of control objects.
Much has been written recently about the nature of haptics, so rather than cover this territory again I want to focus on the role of the transparent button membrane and tactile control objects.
Highly intuitive actions In solutions such as our own
www.cieonline.co.uk
control surfaces, transparent buttons are located alongside the touch user and graphical user interfaces (TUI and GUI). This approach enables graphical elements from the display to transmit through the transparent membrane of the buttons. The action of pushing a button activates the touchscreen to change and a touch event is detected by the controller.
So why is this clever technology so relevant to pro-AV? Put most simply, it opens up a new dimension to control surface operations. The ability to generate configurable and context-sensitive icons or text for each button spells exciting control potential for applications as different as theatre show control and medical training.
Bazile Peter, global product manager – HMI solutions at Densitron
Other opportunities are opened up by another approach to interaction: tactile control objects. There are currently three main types of tactile control object accessible in this way – rotary, linear and push switch. Tactile objects are a big step forward for glass-based control because they allow simple hand-moves – such as pushing a button – to be completed without them needing to be in line of sight. This is particularly useful for
applications where simple motor memory is advantageous. Broadcast is an obvious example given that production personnel – especially when involved in intense live programming – will save valuable time and energy by reaching out for a physical button.
But this kind of scenario is also found in many more ‘traditional’ AV environments, such as theatre shows, where effective lighting often depends on an intuitive experience of the controls. With tactile buttons for key tasks, you can streamline a
lot of the more repetitive aspects of show control. This becomes even more valuable when you consider that touring productions are increasingly going out on the road with smaller teams.
The result is a truly hybrid control solution that effectively brings together the best of both worlds. It’s one that we think will resonate even more with end- users as the global HMI market continues to grow (one forecast, from Arizton Advisory & Intelligence, predicts it will be worth more than $8 billion by 2023). With centralised and user-friendly control a priority for all kinds of sectors, there is little doubt that hybrid solutions – such as those made by Densitron – can support a smooth transition into this brave new world.
Ultimately, it’s all about putting the customer and operator in greater control – and, really, who can afford to ignore that possibility?
www.densitron.com Components in Electronics November 2021 29
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