From automation to tangible interactive objects

Automation led to many innovations for a long time, most of them were developed during the twentieth century. It was commonly thought as a layer on top of a mechanical system. It promoted system management over low-level control. The more information technology evolves, the more it takes a fundamental part in our lives. This article describes a paradigm shift where automation will no longer be an add-on, and where software supports the definition, implementation and operationalization of functions and structures of products from the beginning of the design process. Any design today starts by using computer-aided design tools that enable us to easily draw, modify and fine-tune any kind of system. We can fully develop an airplane and literally fly it as a complex piece of software. Usability and usefulness can be tested before anything physical is built. Consequently, human-centered design (HCD) is now not only feasible but also can drive the overall engineering of products. We have started to design products from outside in, i.e., from usages and purposes to means. We even can 3D print mechanical parts from the software-designed parts with ease. In human–computer interaction, specific research efforts are carried out on tangible objects, which define this inverted view of automation. We now design and develop by using information technology to do mechanical things, and therefore redefine the essence of a new kind of cognitive mechanical engineering. This article is about the revolution that is currently happening in engineering and industrial design due to the immersive influence of computers in our everyday life, and the expansion of HCD.