Speech and the user interface of consumer products : the VODIS system

Building interfaces where the user-system communication relies on speech is often motivated by the added value expected from speech: a more natural, efficient communication that also frees the hands (and the eyes) of the user. However, when developing such an interface, one has to remember that just like other systems, spoken interfaces require a proper design, implying an adequate analysis of the user's needs throughout the dialogue. The VODIS project has led to the design and development of a spoken interface for the control of car equipment. Due to the workload caused by the task of driving the vehicle, spoken communication provides a potentially safe and efficient mode of controlling the car equipment. Here we report the main characteristics of the central module of the system, the Dialogue Manager, designed and implemented by IPO, which comprises the necessary components aimed at achieving the goal of a robust and efficient dialogue system. We mainly concentrate on two important activities carried out in the project: the integration of the various modules into a task model taking into account the characteristics of a spoken command dialogue, and the necessity of customizing parts of the system to spoken communication.