Multimodal Interaction Activity Statement

The Multimodal Interaction Activity seeks to extend the Web to allow users to dynamically select the most appropriate mode of interaction for their current needs including any disabilities in order to enable Web application developers to provide an effective user interface for whichever modes the user selects. With multimodal Web applications, users can provide input via speech, handwriting and keystrokes, with output presented via displays, pre-recorded and synthetic speech, audio, and tactile mechanisms such as mobile phone vibrators and Braille strips.

The goal of the Multimodal Interaction Activity is to clearly define how to author concrete multimodal Web applications, for example, coupling a local XHTML user agent with a remote VoiceXML user agent. The Multimodal Interaction Working Group is important as a central point of coordination within W3C for multimodal activities, and the group collaborates with other related Working Groups, e.g. Voice Browser, Compound Document Formats and Ubiquitous Web Applications.

Highlights Since the Previous Advisory Committee Meeting

Extensible MultiModal Annotation markup language (EMMA) is published as a W3C Candidate Recommendation on 11 December, 2007. The Candidate Recommendation period is closing on 14 April, 2008.

The group held the Workshop on W3C's Multimodal Architecture and Interfaces (MMI Architecture) at Keio University in Japan on 16-17 November, 2007. Requirements for extensions and additions to the MMI Architecture were identified and prioritized to better support speech, GUI, Ink and other Modality Components. A list of issues and requirements about the current MMI Architecture was generated based on the workshop discussion. The summary and the detailed minutes are also available. The group is working on the review and incorporation of the workshop feedback, and the fourth Working Draft is expected in the first quarter of 2008.

MMI Authoring, which suggests standard techniques for developing multimodal user interfaces on various devices using the MMI Architecture, is also planned to be published probably following the fourth MMI Architecture Working Draft.

The group is working on the Disposition of Comments document and test assertions of InkML for the next publication as Candidate Recommendation expected in the second quarter of 2008.

The group held two face to face meetings, one in Cambridge in November, 2007 and another in Orlando in March, 2008.

Cambridge meeting: The first meeting was held in Cambridge, US, on 5-9 November 2007, hosted by W3C. The meeting was collocated with the W3C Technical Plenary/Advisory Committee Meetings (TPAC) and the Voice Browser Working Group face to face meeting. During the meeting the group reviewed the current version of the MMI Architecture and planned for the next version.
Orlando meeting: The second meeting was held in Orlando, US, on 3-7 March 2008, hosted by Voxeo and collocated with the Voice Browser Working Group face to face meeting. During this meeting the group discussed and reviewed the MMI Architecture workshop feedback, and got close to deciding on the topics for inclusion in the next MMI Architecture. The group also discussed the need of guidelines for integrating a modality into the MMI Architecture.

Upcoming Activity Highlights

The group expects to transition EMMA to Proposed Recommendation in May while the Candidate Recommendation of InkML is planned in the second quarter of 2008. MMI Architecture is expected to be the fourth Working Draft in the first quarter of 2008, and MMI Authoring should be also published in following that probably as a Note.

The next face to face meeting will be held on 9-13 June in Saarbruecken, Germany, hosted by DFKI and collocated with the Voice Browser Working Group face to face meeting.

Summary of Activity Structure

Group	Chair	Team Contact	Charter
Multimodal Interaction Working Group (participants)	Deborah Dahl	Kazuyuki Ashimura	Chartered until 31 January 2009

This Activity Statement was prepared for the April 2008 W3C Advisory Committee Meeting (Members only) per section 5 of the W3C Process Document. Generated from group data.

Kazuyuki Ashimura, Multimodal Interaction Activity Lead

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