"Creating Natural User Interfaces", Ramune Norkute, CEO of IdeaCode (LT)
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Tired of using mouse and keyboard to get your computer do what you want? Natural user interfaces (NUI) are a new paradigm in how people interact with computers. This is a real story of creating a natural user interface for TLV Play. Real issues a team was faced with and the decisions it had to make when creating NUI
Natural user interface is the natural extension of the body. The most well known NUI-s are Microsoft Kinect and Apple`s Siri, the latter of which is using voice as a control device. Also, LeapMotion`s 3D sensor which will be available shortly, and that will already be much-much more accurate than the Kinect
So how do we make this UI really great and natural for the users?
Well, it`s definitely not a simple thing to do.
There are a lot of standards which you can apply in usability, but currently they are also popping up in natural user interfaces. The new interface is not yet ready until it becomes second nature to you.
It must be so familiar that no-one will ever want to use regular input devices anymore. Currently developers have been trying to bring this into games (for example on the Kinect) but games are just one possibility.
Currently we are working with 2 dimensional space and the interface gets a lot more complicated when another dimension gets involved. You have to understand and keep in mind a lot more when you are designing natural user interfaces.
Traditional GUI conventions are ignored.
They are ignored, because they are considered to be design patterns that help with already established interfaces, but are useless when designing something completely new!
Quietly, they have been tuning your traditional PC platform into something that utilizes NUI. With TLV Play, you can control action without ever touching the screen or the keyboard. This interface works with various media players and web browsers and they are trying to move this further into desktop environments.
How do you choose interaction concepts?
The idea is that you will first be showing your hand and move the hand to the direction that launches the function the user requires.
Currently it`s the closest to what we have to traditional menus while remaining natural and fluent.
There is also the option to use sign languages in interfaces, for example gestures for different usages, but it can turn into a very complex sign language which will not help towards accomplishing a natural interface that everyone could use without any previous knowledge.
Hhow does TLV Play work?
It`s divided into 2 steps:
- show the hand
- make a movement
They know that it`s basic and have a long way to go, but you can download the demo at www.tlvlabs.com and stay tuned for further developments!
I (the writer) am certainly excited and want to try out new NU interfaces as soon as possible. Current gen Kinect is still inaccurate, but hopefully, especially with Leap Motion and the next iteration of Kinect, this will change!
