Tools and technologies have long complemented and extended our physical abilities: from pre-historic spearheads to steam-propelled ploughs and high-tech prosthetics. While the development of lenses granted us insights into the micro and macrocosms, new sensors and technologies increasingly augment our cognitive abilities, including memory and perception. This book integrates current research efforts, results, and visions from the fields of computer science, neuroscience, and psychology. It provides a comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art and future applications of how technologies assist and augment human perception and cognition. Experts in the field share their research and findings on: Working memory enhancements Digitization of memories through lifelog archives The consequences of technology-induced disruptions and forgetting The creation and utilization of new human senses Ethical and security concerns that arise with augmentation technologies. As technology weaves itself ever deeper into our lives, careful examination of its capabilities, risks and benefits is warranted. While this book focuses on the complementation and augmentation of human capabilities, it serves as a foundation for students, researchers and designers of technologies that push the boundaries of perception and cognition.

Tools and technologies have long complemented and extended our physical abilities: from pre-historic spearheads to steam-propelled ploughs and high-tech prosthetics. While the development of lenses granted us insights into the micro and macrocosms, new sensors and technologies increasingly augment our cognitive abilities, including memory and perception. This book integrates current research efforts, results, and visions from the fields of computer science, neuroscience, and psychology. It provides a comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art and future applications of how technologies assist and augment human perception and cognition. Experts in the field share their research and findings on: Working memory enhancements Digitization of memories through lifelog archives The consequences of technology-induced disruptions and forgetting The creation and utilization of new human senses Ethical and security concerns that arise with augmentation technologies. As technology weaves itself ever deeper into our lives, careful examination of its capabilities, risks and benefits is warranted. While this book focuses on the complementation and augmentation of human capabilities, it serves as a foundation for students, researchers and designers of technologies that push the boundaries of perception and cognition.

From the moment we wake up to the moment we end our day, we use interfaces built out of the written word. Textual information remains now, as it has for centuries, the cornerstone of human information acquisition. The wide adoption of smartphone, tablets, e-readers and personal computers has shifted the bulk of this reading from inflexible paper to digital content. The control provided by digital displays over how visual information is presented to readers has the potential to improve reading for each and every reader, regardless of ability or diagnosis. This represents a profound shift in how we think about reading because text is no longer rendered immutable by writers, designers, or publishers at a single stage, and human-computer interaction research is key to realizing its potential. Readability research takes a fundamentally individual approach to what each reader needs. Each reader has their own individual needs. Meanwhile, adapting the written word to the individual reader has never been easier, and the goal of maximizing individual reading efficacy is increasingly attainable. No one discipline or field has all the tools or answers, and readability work is inherently interdisciplinary. The authors of this monograph include vision scientists, technology experts, educators, designers, typographers, and data scientists. Together they represent voices from academia, the tech industry, and non-profit institutions, driven by common goals to improve the reading interfaces of today. In this review, they provide a comprehensive introduction to interdisciplinary methodologies, tools, and materials required for readability research focused on the individual reader. They call on the HCI community to contribute to the growing understanding of readers’ needs; to study the interactions between text, user, and task; and to build the tools and interfaces needed to improve reading outcomes for all.