The European OpenInterface (OI) project has created a framework for developing human-computer interfaces that go beyond traditional windows-icons-menus-pointers standards. The project’s researchers set out to design an open source development framework capable of quickly and easily supporting the design and development of new user interfaces by mixing and matching different types of input devices and modalities. “These devices and modalities have been around a long time, but whenever developers seek to employ them in new ways or simply in their applications, they have to reinvent the wheel,” says OI coordinator Laurence Nigay. “They need to characterize the device, develop ways to get it to work with technology and other interface systems. And then do a lot of testing to make sure it usefully improves how people interact with technology.” Designers can use the OI framework to quickly create prototype input systems and methods. The framework consists of a graphical tool for assembling stock components from a repository, which enables developers to explore different interaction possibilities. Nigay says the framework’s OpenInterface Interaction Development Environment enables designers to assemble components to create a “pipeline” for defining certain multimodal interactions.
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