Digital Evolution Has Led To Natural User Interface

The manner in which we now interact with computing devices has gone through a paradigm shift only in the last few years. Prior to the introduction of the GUI or graphical user interface, for over 100 years, most computing devices required a command line user interface for communication. Earliest forms involved the use of punch cards. In the last two decades, the use of a pointer device like the mouse did bring a major revolution to graphics. Today, touch, sound and motion are capable of controlling computing devices and although this technology is just ten years old, it is already blossoming into a lucrative venture.

The Start of NUI

Possibly, the first idea to emerge with respect to natural user interface was the multi-touch capability in Apple products about 4 years ago. There were many other devices in the market at the time but none that had managed to grasp user attention. Similarly in the world of gesture control, Xbox Kinect caused a furor. But wait, did not Nintendo first come out with its motion controls in the Wii? Yes, Wii indeed was the first generation of motion interfaces but it was Kinect that brought in a natural user interface idea into the picture.

Now Kinect seems to be open for third party developers who can use the device for myriad of other purposes, writing codes using the software developer kit released by Microsoft. This device should therefore show what NUI can achieve even before it becomes integrated into our daily life.

Audio Interfaces Were Always Around

If you consider voice recognition software as a natural user interface then this technology was already available from a long time. However, over the past couple of years, the technology has become reliable. Improvements in the way voice and speech are deciphered by a computer has made it possible for developers to make voice command modules. The best example being that of Siri for the Apple iPhone.

When the first generation iPhone launched in 2007, its voice recognition software was at best rudimentary. However, four generations later, a driver can look at the road and have SMS read back to him or respond to the phone, which shall take down his message and send it to the appropriate recipient for him.

Shall This Evolution Continue?

The fact that it took nearly 80 years to move ahead of a rudimentary form of text interaction is proof that evolution takes its own sweet time to happen. While at present, technology is advancing rapidly, who knows if natural user interface will become a complete success in 20 years’ time. It could also happen that people revert back to GUI for its simplicity and lower costs. Nevertheless, advancements shall always come in this sector and it is only natural for User interfaces to shed their dependency on a mouse and keyboard.

Get more information on the new gesture camera.