Auditory Interface for Mobile DevicesFrom HIT Lab NZImage:Auditory Interface for Mobile Devices 1.jpg Auditory Interface for Mobile Devices
Mobility has become a way of life. Some tasks that we used to accomplish in the office or at home are now being done on the go. Mobility requires a high degree of visual attention. But visual interfaces may not be suitable in that context, as they can distract the user’s attention from primary tasks such as operating a vehicle. In contrast, auditory user interfaces are flexible and scaleable, ranging from simple non-speech cues to audio representation of multivariate and multi-dimensional data compounds. The aim of this project was to explore the possibilities of using an auditory interface for interaction with a mobile device. Based on a classic visual menu of a NOKIA mobile phone we developed a prototype of an acoustic interface with similar functionality. The interface was used to interact with a mobile device in a car for perform typical tasks, such as: calling people, sending text messages, playing songs, etc. The auditory interface was based on a set of speech icons representing different items in the menu. The acoustic icons were spread on a virtual circle around the users’ head. Differening numbers of acoustic icons were played simultaneously (one or up to six). The user would turn the circle and therefore navigate between different items. With the selection of one of the items user would enter the submenu and new items or icons would appear on the circle. With such basic principle user could navigate up and down in the menu and perform different tasks. A special interaction device was developed for the auditory interface and being attached to the steering wheel in a car. It consisted of a small scroll wheel and two buttons. The acoustic interfaces offer an effective alternative to classic visual interfaces currently used in cars and other vehicles. A simple prototype of hierarchical acoustic menu enables effective interaction with a mobile device used in a car and presents a low-level distraction to the driver. The extensive user study was preformed in a car simulator comparing the effectiveness of the acoustic interface with a traditional visual interface . The users were asked to perform several tasks with both interfaces while driving and evaluate both of them. Various variables were measured during the experiment: task completion times, driving performance, NASA TLX workload test, etc. The acoustic interface proved to be easier and safer to use in simulated driving conditions and therefore offers an effective alternative to traditional in-vehicle mobile devices based on a screen-keyboard interactions. In the future an acoustic interface with various numbers of simultaneous sound sources should be evaluated. The awareness of the current position within the menu hierarchy proved to be the biggest disadvantage of the auditory interface compared to the visual interface. Additional acoustic cues and frequent feedback messages should be added to the interface.
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