I believe that hands are an extension of the mind and not just closely connected to the mind as stated by McCullough (1996). A lot of experiences that our mind creates are based on our senses and touch is major aspect of them. Not only does the mind use our sense of touch to make sense of our environment but when our mind is wandering and creating experiences, it is our hands that extend first which closely ties in with the concept talked about by McCullough.

In a way, our hands let us create whatever the mind desires. A beautiful point that comes across in the readings is that ‘Hands also discover and are themselves led into exploration’. So though the computer is inherently a tool for the mind, hands are the medium that helps us explore the world through the tool. A perfect example such an interface is the HTC Vive (particularly with applications like Google Tilt brush).

Tilt Brush lets you paint in 3D space with virtual reality. The world is set up as our canvas and the only limitation is what our mind can imagine. The way the interface has been created it has been adapted to be as fluent and natural as we can be. Only a few limitations exist to this interface which needs the user to use a gesture or input method that might not be intuitive when using one’s hand naturally. As a user, I am allowed to use my hands to draw and manipulate in a 3D environment. Also since it is virtual reality, the input and output feel more connected. Think of those times, when you want to create something and on unconsciously are waving your hand around trying to imagine how it would get created and how the output would be, the Vive gets you there. It lets the connection between the mind and the hand do what it was meant to do.