Human Computer Giraffe Interaction: HCI in the Field

This paper presents some findings and proposals for new research that have arisen from our work on the ''Mobile Computing in Fieldwork Environments'' project at the University of Kent at Canterbury [1]: a project that is sponsored by JTAP (JISC Technology Applications Programme) [2]. Our main research interest is in the development of novel software tools for the mobile fieldworker that exploit existing handheld computing and sensor technology. The work described in this paper concentrates on examining the special needs and environment of the fieldworker, reflecting on the HCI features required for a successful PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) for use in the field.