VUI: what is the Voice User Interface and how does it work?

The Voice User Interface revolution: making innovation accessible to all

In the age of technological innovation, conversational interfaces have taken a leading role in how we interact with machines and devices. One of the most advanced forms of interaction with computer systems is represented by the Voice User Interface (VUI), i.e. the user interface based on voice. This technology, which uses voice recognition and synthesized voice response, has opened new horizons and opportunities for both conventional users and those with disabilities, making great strides in the field of digital accessibility.

What is Voice User Interface (VUI)?

Voice User Interface is a technology that allows users to interact with devices and systems through voice commands and voice responses. Instead of using a keyboard, mouse or touch screen, users can communicate with the system through their voice, making the interaction more natural and intuitive. VUI was made possible by advances in natural language processing and speech recognition, which allowed devices to better understand and interpret people’s intentions.

The rise of VUI and everyday use

Since the early days of computing, we have learned to use mouses and keyboards to communicate with our devices. However, this form of interaction can sometimes be limiting and unnatural, requiring people to learn specific commands or follow complex interaction flows, limiting access to disabled or poorly digitalized people. With the development of voice recognition technology and artificial intelligence, VUI has opened up new perspectives.

VUI allows people to communicate with devices and systems using natural voice, just as you would in a conversation with a human. This intimate, user-friendly approach is rapidly gaining popularity across a range of industries, including smartphones, smart speakers, connected cars, personal assistants, e-commerce, and customer service.

In fact, Voice User Interfaces have made a massive appearance in our daily lives. Thanks to voice assistants like Apple’s Siri, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and Microsoft’s Cortana, it has become common to ask for information, set reminders, access multimedia content and control home devices through voice commands. These virtual assistants have reached a level of sophistication that they can understand complex contexts and requests, continuously improving thanks to user feedback and the processing of large amounts of data.

How does VUI work?

The technology underlying conversational interfaces is artificial intelligence, and in particular machine learning and speech recognition. Instead of following rigid predefined commands, VUI uses artificial intelligence algorithms to understand natural language and respond accordingly.

Conversational interfaces rely on highly sophisticated speech recognition systems that analyze the user’s voice, translate it into text and interpret it to provide an appropriate response. These systems constantly learn and improve through natural language processing (NLP) and the analysis of extensive data.

Benefits of VUI for people: accessibility and inclusion

Voice User Interface (VUI) technologies are proving to be an invaluable resource when it comes to accessibility and inclusion. These voice interfaces represent a bridge between people and technology, allowing even those with motor, visual or cognitive difficulties to access digital devices and online services more easily and effectively.

The ability to interact through voice commands eliminates the need to use complex text or physical input, opening up new opportunities for those who cannot use traditional devices. VUIs offer equal access to technology, allowing people of all abilities to participate fully in the digital world, thus improving their quality of life and promoting greater social inclusion.

Conversational interfaces like VUI offer several benefits for all users:

• Accessibility: VUI is particularly beneficial to people with disabilities who may have difficulty using traditional keyboard- or touch-screen-based interfaces. People with visual, motor or cognitive disabilities may find VUI a simpler and more effective way to interact with technological devices.
• Improved user experience: Interaction through voice is more natural and less tiring than using traditional devices. Users can perform complex tasks quickly and intuitively.
• Multitasking: The VUI allows users to perform multiple tasks at the same time, as it does not require the use of their hands. This is especially useful when you are on the move or engaged in other activities.
• Social inclusion: VUI promotes the social inclusion of people with disabilities, as it allows them to fully participate in digital conversations and activities without barriers.

Challenges in VUI accessibility for people with disabilities

Despite the advantages offered by VUI, there are still some challenges to overcome to ensure full accessibility for disabled users. Let’s see some of them:

• Accurate speech recognition: Speech recognition may have difficulty understanding certain accents, dialects, or speech disorders, making it difficult for some people with disabilities to interact with the VUI.
• Understandable synthesized responses: Synthesized voice responses should be clear and easy to understand, especially for people with hearing disabilities.
• Customizing settings: Users with disabilities may need customized settings to adapt the VUI to their specific needs.
• Privacy and security: Use of the VUI may involve the collection of sensitive personal data, which requires particular attention to the security and privacy of disabled users.

Voice User Interfaces represent a revolution in the world of human-machine interaction, opening new perspectives for increasingly advanced and accessible technology. With the constant development of conversational interfaces, we expect to see a future in which communication with machines will be increasingly natural, fluid and effective.

At TSW we pay particular attention to innovations in the digital field, even more so if these trends have to do with themes such as accessibility, inclusiveness, improvement of the experience, humanization of digital. For all these reasons we see VUIs as a great and precious tool in designing the experience and above all in its experience.