Human Machine Interface

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Definition

"A human machine interface (HMI) is an interface which permits interaction between a human being and a machine" [1]. Some human machine interfaces include knobs, levers, and controls [2].

A good human machine interface reduces the time and space it takes to access and absorb data. Increasingly, good human machine interfaces also protect the human from seeing every piece of information at once, allowing the human to absorb the necessary information at the correct or relevant time, or choose which piece of information to absorb. These systems are generally blank until queried, with Google being the most prevalent example.

Google's Human Machine Interface, providing the user with a starting point for search while protecting them from information overload.