Multimodal Interfaces for Automotive Applications (MIAA)

Summary:
Multimodal interactions allow for natural, intuitive design. If a person can physically touch and manipulate an object by hand, then they need not try and learn how to map these natural movements to those of a mouse, keyboard, or some other input device. Here the authors are concerned with applying multimodal interfaces to cars, where inputs and outputs are limited and often time-constrained. As cars continue to incorporate more advanced features that require the integration of technology, drivers must be able to interact with them with minimal difficulty and concentration (they're driving!).

In their workshop, the authors express an interest in multi-party systems wherein passengers and drivers fill different roles that give them access to different features and devices. They also mention voice commands and dialogue as a form of input, and having multiple unique outputs for each driver/passenger role. MIAA is focused on user-centered design.

Discussion:
This paper makes the workshop sound awesome. I didn't really notice the fact that almost all inputs and outputs in a vehicle are tailored toward the driver and are therefore within their reach (which according to Donny Norman is a design issue). Some minivans of SUVs give air conditioning or entertainment controls to passengers, but not in such a way as this paper implied. Keeping functions that are not critical to the driver's role away from the driver makes sense to me! But just what kinds of multimodal inputs would they seek to incorporate other than voice?