The HCI Lab is a research facility in the Computer Science Department of the University of Canterbury. Our goal is to understand human-factors in computer use, and to use this knowledge to create interfaces that are faster to learn, more efficient to use, and more subjectively satisfying than the current state of the art. We value scientific repeatability, and we are proud of our strong reputation for conducting sound experiments that empirically characterise aspects of usability and which reveal definitive and repeatable performance gains.

We are the only research group in Australasia that regularly publishes full papers at the ACM CHI Conference. CHI is the top conference on human computer interaction, and it largely defines the research field.

The excellent reputation of the lab, combined with the compelling natural attractions of the stunning South Island of New Zealand, make the lab an appealing destination for sabbatical leave. If you are interested in visiting or working with the HCI Lab, contact the director Prof. Dr. Andy Cockburn.

Members of the HCI Lab are most interested in improving real interactive tasks with desktop, laptop, and mobile computer systems. However, we also work closely with the HIT Lab New Zealand, which investigates advanced technology for interaction, particularly that based on virtual and augmented reality.