It’s been a long, awesome summer but I am happy to get back in the research groove. Ever since I completed my internship at Autodesk Research, I have been trying to narrow down the focus of my PhD research (because improving client enjoyment and motivation is still a huge area!!). After lots of reading, contemplating, and staring at the ceiling, I began to realize I was really interested in the basics of human movement: how people were moving their arms and hands on our multi-touch tabletop, why they were moving, why they weren’t moving, and how some movements were very similar from activity to activity, while others were completely different.

These questions lead me towards thinking about the core principles behind horizontal-based gestures, multi-finger interaction, and multi-touch interfaces, as well as motor learning, skill acquisition, and skill transfer. With all these great questions swirling around in my head, I have decided to switch gears and focus my forthcoming research on a number of the unanswered questions that exist with multi-touch gestures and look at them through a motor learning-inspired magnifying glass. Until next time!