CHAPTER 5 Input/Output: Computers in Action
Input/Output for Dolphins Carroll Touch has been working with Sea Life Park Hawaii to create a system that will enable dolphins to interact with computers. The interface ultimately selected was a touchscreen monitor embedded within the dolphins' tank. The monitor allows dolphins to interact directly with a computer, giving researchers unprecedented opportunity to explore the animals' intellect. The monitor is not of the variety that you might see at a mall kiosk in that engineers had many obstacles to overcome, such as water and the pressure exerted by the water in front of the dolphin's snout. Researchers have begun experiments they hope will lead to exploring dolphins' cognitive skills, such as memory and their ability to select from choices. Since there are no food rewards, the dolphins must be intellectually stimulated and interested in the results of what they do while interacting with a touch screen. Researchers are interested in using this same method for cognitive research with animals to compare results between dolphins and primates.
One More Step Closer for the E-Textbook Movement It may not be long before lugging around a 30-pound backpack full of textbooks will be a memory. A Chicago startup company has created goReader, the first device to offer electronic content on a portable device specifically designed for college students. The device is designed to improve and enhance the learning of students. goReader offers the functionality of a traditional textbook with the convenience and value-added benefits of electronic content and an Internet appliance. The goReader offers several advantages over traditional textbooks, not the least of which is its weight. Just about everything a student needs from textbooks, study guides, and other supplementary information and capabilities (calculators, calendar, dictionaries, and so on) can be contained in the device. Of course, content is searchable. Up to 35 electronic textbooks can be contained in the goReader memory. E-textbooks are expected to sell for about 25 percent of their traditional counterparts. The display mimics a textbook page in size and function and allows note taking and highlighting directly on the text. The manufacturer is working with major textbook publishers to make a variety of textbooks available for next year.