Natural User Interface

A Natural User Interface or NUI is an interface type in which the interface with the computer system occurs like an extension of the user's own body. It feels natural to that user, to the point that the computer system itself seems to disappear. As such a NUI is something of a holy grail of interfaces, and whilst some have been achieved, is usually difficult to pull off just right.

The emphasis is always on Natural User Interface, separating the user and the interface into two parts, rather than treating it as just one, as is the usual concept of a UI. By doing this, it becomes a matter of partnering a naturally behaving user with an interface for them, rather than creating a user interface and then introducing the user.

Examples of NUIs include VR systems in which the interface elements themselves fade from the user's mind, gesture control systems that flow smoothly, and interactive tabletops that behave as you would expect paper to but with added functions.

In short, a NUI is all about essentially eliminating any need for the user to stop and think about how to interface with the system; they use the same methods and mannerisms to interact with the computer devices as they would if working with a non-computational system. The interface learning curve is either very flat, or non-existent to the end user.

Below, we offer a selection of links from our resource databases which may match this term.

Auditory Display Gesture Sequence Gesture Sequence Navigation Motionless Gesture Multimodal Sequence Multimodal Sequence Navigation Natural User Interface NUI

Repetitive Strain Repetitive Strain Injury RSI Touch Based Gesture Touch Sequence Touch Sequence Navigation

Two Handed Input Unintentional Gesture Voice Control

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Large Image Display: Chrysalis: Natural User Interface in Surveilance
Part two of a short series looking at the French film Chrysalis (2007)'s take on Natural User Interfaces. This focusses on a slightly more advanced form of touchscreen display; dealing with video data in such a way as to feel totally natural, even to a non-computer-user.

Large Image Display: Chrysalis: Natural User Interface in Paperwork
A look at the tabletop interface system, a form of NUI that has long been sought after, but as the French film Chrysalis imagines it. A form which strongly resembles current efforts, but has the added benefit of being just a few years ahead of us, and is willing to show the capabilities off.

Natural Language Processing For Multi-User Virtual Worlds
This expansive, and well-written article takes a look at how to implement a more natural language system, to enable the parsing of more complex commands in text-based virtual worlds. Contains code, orientated towards MOO/MUSH developers.

Brain Machine Interface Enabled Wheelchair
Researchers at the University of South Florida have developed a wheelchair-mounted robotic arm, which is capable of interfacing with the wheelchair user's thoughts via a non-invasive neural interface.

Adding Haptics to a Second Skin
Researchers have prototyped an electrotactile second skin to be worn over the first, which adds additional pressure sensation to the user's own sensory capabilities – it makes the natural skin much more sensitive to touch.

VR Interfaces: Vocal Joystick

The Vocal Joystick is a hardware interface for those with severe disabilities such as motor impairments. Provided they can make sounds with their larynx, even if they are not words, the user can navigate a virtual environment, or web page.

Spoken Dialogue Technology: Toward the Conversational User Interface

Spoken Dialogue Technology attempts to provide an exhaustive coverage of spoken dialogue systems. Based on the author?s earlier 80 page paper on the same subject, this book fleshes things out, whist still maintaining a fairly academic presentation style.

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