Man-Machine-Interaction

Computers that understand language need other rules

Of the available channels of communication open to us, the spoken word is the most natural and human form of communication. Speech for us humans is usually spontaneous and uncomplicated, and can be used very productively. Speech does, however, contain very complex internal structures that reproduce human cognitive patterns. Furthermore, verbal communication is based on many assumptions that the speaker must get to grips with in conversations.

Speaking with a program or a machine is therefore a much more complex type of interaction than hitting the keys of a computer, because the users’ obvious assumptions have to be incorporated, and cannot be covered with visual signs such as for example a tick in a box that shows which option has been selected.

Since speech is so natural for us, it is also extremely productive, fast and efficient. The motivation to use speech in Man Machine Interaction is therefore very great, and shows that efficiency gains of up to 50% can be made compared with inputting information via a keyboard.

You can read the full article on this in the second edition of our dawin magazine.

If you would like to find out more about speech-assisted software, contact Sébastien Bratières.

 

“Speech-assisted systems require intelligent assistance functions, since there is often no visual guidance on the user interface.”

Sébastien Bratières