Flexible multimodal human-machine interaction in mobile environments

This article describes requirements and a prototype system for a flexible multimodal human-machine interaction in two substantially different mobile environments, namely pedestrian and car. The system allows an integrated trip planning using multimodal input and output. Motivated by the specific safety and privacy requirements in both environments, we present a framework for flexible modality control. A characteristic feature of our framework is the insight that both user and system may independently and asynchronously initiate a modality transition. We conclude with a brief discussion of further issues and research questions.