When I was younger, I saw some science fiction films, as Stars Wars and I remember the surprise caused by the metallic sound of voices of robots, computers and machines. Even in TV series of those dates, as "Knight Rider", you could listen animated conversations between David Hasselhoff and his car KITT. Then, submarine, rockets and other gadgets described by visionary Jules Verne emerged from my memory to tell me that soon we all would be speaking to machines.
Some years later, I sat in my car, pressed a button. A BEEP sound warned me
that my KITT was waiting my instructions. I said "new destination"
and I heard the speakers again. "What part of your destination would you
like enter? BEEP". "City", I answered. "What is the city
name? BEEP". I said "Seville" and I listened "Go on, please,
BEEP". I wished finishing sooner than later and I exclaimed "Start
the guided to destination". This phrase produced a laconic and BEEP LESS
answer "The guided to destination is active".
I told a colleague, who I borrowed one of its computer books, that I was surprised
by the exactness of the navigator and he explained me that it was easier than
it seemed because the program was expecting questions and answers inside a range
of possibilities.
No doubt about it, the car security is increased if you do not use your hands
with the navigator. But, what is about other applications? Are there more advantages?
Are there disadvantages?
When you are outdoors, the sun's light, the size of the screen and the movement
make difficult the use of tactile interfaces.
Voice interface improves interaction with computers used by people with some
vision or mobility problems. Sometimes, voice interfaces appear to be an all
or nothing game (as least for blind people).
Children learn to speak before they can read or write and voice is their best
option to interact with automatic machines. The same happens with immigrants
and illiterate people. These systems can help them to get social integration.
Apart from these cases, it seems that everybody can read quicker than speak
and that everyone can give speaking orders and answers faster than writing them.
The use of mix interfaces tactile and vocal improves productivity and efficiency
in all interactions between the men and machines.
On the other hand, the ambient noise can make the use a voice interface be impossible.
The silence required in meetings and other social situations dissuades of their
use.
I consider these reasons enough to try to put in practice when I develop an
Android application, because I think that the use of voice, in future, will
be as frequent as keyboards on phones, tablets, computers and any other electronic
device.
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