Understanding user’s mood and tone as well as achieving a basic natural human conversation is currently one of the most desired goals in the development of vocal assistants (e.g. Google Assistant or Alexa). Companies such as Google see their smart speakers less as personal devices than as computing devices that live in a shared environment. ruwido’s scientific research is exploring the added value of these new artificial roommates.
Besides all of the trust issues, privacy concerns and reflections about legislations in the future, it is worth to look at the possible benefits these devices can bring. Would it not be nice, if we get more efficient support in feeling cheerful and well entertained? And beyond that: Would it not be nice, if we keep it in our own hand (and control)?
ruwido’s vision is to support all needs of users by delivering a contextual and meaningful entertainment experience. This entertainment experience includes the feeling of convenience, control, and appropriate emotions by getting individualized recommendations via voice search, for instance.
Only one button press and voice request is needed from the user’s side, from which an extensive entertainment experience will be delivered. No matter if users are happy, or sad or just bored: ruwido is evaluating how to give users appropriate recommendations and possibilities to fulfil their wishes for having a good and bright time at home – or at the ‘convenient home’ that, in a further step, also includes home appliences beyond the TV.
Today, popular smart speakers are more focussed on what the user is saying, but not on how the user is talking to the device. This is why ruwido’s scientific research is currently conducting some studies regarding its approach of mood-lifting artificial intelligence. By recognizing a user’s voice input based on current emotions, ruwido’s vision is to be able to generate more personalised recommendations and offerings.
As well as Amazon’s system for example, ruwido believes in a system that will be able to distinguish between different emotional states. Amazon’s proposed technology makes it possible to determine the emotional state of any user; regardless of whether they normally use that device. But by contrast, ruwido counts on systems that are going to use a less obtrusive way of emotion recognition and customization; ruwido counts on button-based voice control.
In general, voice control is still a hugely important mechanism for the industry, which is very useful in different situations. We are convinced that it is important to consider both situations in user’s living rooms – social cocooning, with your family and friends, and individual media consumption – by integrating button-based voice control that enables context-specific requests, and that always keeps the user in control.
Therefore, to reach user experience excellence it is essential to provide the perfect alingement of personalised content combined with seamless interaction, supporting several modalities. This includes button-based voice interaction as well as standard input to offer the user an alternative way of interaction if they do not want to, or are not able to use their voice. This will ensure bright moments, and will help things turn out for the best, whilst watching TV in the living room, which can also be seen as the ‘campfire of the new age’.
About ruwido
ruwido is a leading provider of input devices and interaction mechanisms in the context of the home. The company specialises in innovative design, enhanced technology and scientific research to enable intuitive navigation and user experience excellence. Premium manufacturer brands around the world rely on ruwido solutions.
Founded in Salzburg in 1969, ruwido is built on 50 years of experience in consumer electronics. 25 per cent of ruwido’s 200 employees are dedicated to research and development, which enables the company to excel in new interaction techniques, user experience and usability concepts. www.ruwido.com
