Possible Uses For Multimodal Systems

Alternative ways to interact with devices for entertainment purposes have become quite popular in recent years. Manufacturers seem are incorporating different forms of interfaces into their products to entice buyers through the novelty value of this.

The Samsung SGH-E760 mobile phone and the Apple iPhone/iTouch incorporate motion detection to allow the user to play games or navigate menus by tilting the phone in the necessary direction. Nintendo's new games console called the Wii takes this technology even further, with sophisticated motion tracking which allows fluid movements such as the swing of a golf club to be replicated by the controller on-screen.

Applications to Home Care

The University of Glasgow's research into Multimodal Systems is heavily intertwined with their other area of research called Dynamic Configurability.

The University of Glasgow is developing a range of multimodal interfaces as part of the overall MATCH goal of creating a complete home care system. By creating different styles of interfaces, Glasgow will provide the functionality for users with varying needs to successfully interact with the MATCH system.

Multimodal interfaces are focused on the main senses such as sight, hearing and touch. For those with impairments, these are often the main restrictions for interactions with devices. New interfaces will help with simple tasks such as using a TV remote. An elderly person with severe arthritis may find that using a standard remote control is painful or even impossible. A possible alternative would be to use gesture as an input, where the system responds to motion of the remote control. Instead of trying to press small buttons, the user could simply shake the control up or down to change channels.