Uploaded November 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Can we ever see too much data?
Yes, actually. In certain situations, visual overload can paralyze decision-making. Adding one more screen, one more monitor, one more chart, table, ticker or graph becomes counterproductive.
Since 2022, WashU’s Sensory and Ambient Interfaces Lab (SAIL) has been exploring new, non-visual ways to transmit real-time performance feedback within compromised environments.
“We define a compromised environment as any physical situation where a screen either doesn’t exist, is dangerous, or is distracting from the primary task at hand,” said lab founder Jonathan Hanahan, associate professor in the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts.
In this video, Hanahan, who also directs WashU’s new Master of Design for Human-Computer Interaction and Emerging Technology, discusses SAIL, its pilot collaboration with WashU Rowing, and the broader potentials of haptic technology.
Can cues relating to the sense of touch — such as pulses and vibrations, typically delivered through a wearable device — be tailored to communicate complex information?
“A lot of my work is about asking questions around that intersection of physical and digital experiences,” Hanahan said. “As they become increasingly intertwined, what does that mean? How do they work together?
“What do we understand about the relationship between the two things?”
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About WashU
Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) is a nationally ranked, global leader in teaching, research and patient care. With a vibrant community of over 21,300 students and faculty from all 50 states and 100+ countries, WashU offers world-class programs across eight distinct schools, all anchored in purpose-driven scholarship and service to society. Discover how WashU brings us closer to the knowledge that changes lives and the stories that inspire us to change the world.
Learn more by visiting
→ Website – washU.edu
→ WashU News Source -- source.washu.edu
→ IG -- instagram.com/washu/?hl=en
→ Facebook -- facebook.com/WashU
Can we ever see too much data?
Yes, actually. In certain situations, visual overload can paralyze decision-making. Adding one more screen, one more monitor, one more chart, table, ticker or graph becomes counterproductive.
Since 2022, WashU’s Sensory and Ambient Interfaces Lab (SAIL) has been exploring new, non-visual ways to transmit real-time performance feedback within compromised environments.
“We define a compromised environment as any physical situation where a screen either doesn’t exist, is dangerous, or is distracting from the primary task at hand,” said lab founder Jonathan Hanahan, associate professor in the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts.
In this video, Hanahan, who also directs WashU’s new Master of Design for Human-Computer Interaction and Emerging Technology, discusses SAIL, its pilot collaboration with WashU Rowing, and the broader potentials of haptic technology.
Can cues relating to the sense of touch — such as pulses and vibrations, typically delivered through a wearable device — be tailored to communicate complex information?
“A lot of my work is about asking questions around that intersection of physical and digital experiences,” Hanahan said. “As they become increasingly intertwined, what does that mean? How do they work together?
“What do we understand about the relationship between the two things?”
→Subscribe: bit.ly/WashUSubscribe
About WashU
Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) is a nationally ranked, global leader in teaching, research and patient care. With a vibrant community of over 21,300 students and faculty from all 50 states and 100+ countries, WashU offers world-class programs across eight distinct schools, all anchored in purpose-driven scholarship and service to society. Discover how WashU brings us closer to the knowledge that changes lives and the stories that inspire us to change the world.
Learn more by visiting
→ Website – washU.edu
→ WashU News Source -- source.washu.edu
→ IG -- instagram.com/washu/?hl=en
→ Facebook -- facebook.com/WashU
