Sense the Machine: Using multi modal cues for providing intelligent guidance

Recent research has demonstrated the potential for representing intelligent guidance using multi-modal cues, yet few guidelines or processes exist to guide the design of such a system. In this paper, we seek to address this gap by investigating the design of multi-modal assistant systems for setting the optimal parameters in industrial plants. We present the results of two user studies conducted with total of 37 participants to evaluate the effectiveness and experience of different combinations of visual ( Highlights and Ambient lights) and haptic ( Clicks and Vibration ) modalities for providing intelligent dynamic guidance. Our findings demonstrate that providing the intelligent guidance with the multi modality of Highlights+Ambient resulted in shorter task duration and higher practicality than Ambient lights alone. Regarding task accuracy, the Highlights and Vibration outside-zone guidance resulted in no failed attempts. Moreover, Highlights+Ambient+Vibration guidance was rated as having lower usability than Highlights+Ambient , and higher mental demand than merely Highlights .