Natural User Interfaces Make Technology More Accessible
A natural user interface (NUI) is the next generation of computer interfaces that has started to take off in the past few years. The most notable introduction happened with the launch of touch smartphones, allowing the user to tap, drag, touch, and swipe their commands across a flat display screen, eliminating the use of a physical keyboard, or any type of buttons for that matter.
A natural user interface is just that -- natural to its user. You don't use a mouse that then moves a cursor to finally click on an icon, you simply touch the icon with your finger. NUIs eliminate the buffer of an input device, because you are the input device. It’s an emerging concept that blends human interaction with that of the computer's interface, allowing a rather seamless and effectively invisible user experience. Through natural movements, gestures, and motions, the NUI is rapidly gaining traction, and the days of the graphic user interface (GUI), which currently dominates the market, could soon fall by the wayside. NUIs have already become more abundant in the tech we use and can help your business in the very near future.
Here are three ways businesses that implement NUI-equipped technology will benefit:
1. Easy learning curve: The main reason NUIs are getting so much attention and becoming the go-to interface for tech companies is their ability to make users feel like a “natural” right out of the box. For example, Microsoft released a product for its Xbox 360 video gaming system called Kinect. Kinect uses spatial gestures for interaction (such as waving your arms) and eliminates the need of a controller. Using natural body motions to control the interface allows users to quickly and easily figure out the game without having to learn button placements and combinations. Although Kinect is for a video gaming system, businesses can look to this type of technology as a means to help train employees or even allow them to control robotic machinery with gestures or other types of movements with their own body or hands.
2. Fast and efficient: A great example of efficiency can be found in a restaurant setting. Workers using NUIs tap a requested item with their finger to quickly process orders and handle transactions with few interruptions or misinterpretations. New waiters won't need to learn what command means hamburger, for example; they simply touch the picture or word hamburger.
In another example, Microsoft Surface is a coffee table-like product that allows users to interact with its content by touching the table surface. Some of the advanced features will even recognize an object (such as a glass) placed on top of it. For example, imagine your customers are sitting down at the bar before dinner. One person orders merlot and places the glass on the screen. The computer recognizes that it’s a wine glass and knows that this person is drinking wine. The customer can now read about what they are drinking, where it came from, and maybe even what else they might like to try. Simply by touching and scrolling the text with their finger, the customer can access the information they seek -- no computer lessons necessary.
3. Fewer mistakes: Without a series of right clicks, drop-down menus, and so on, an NUI allows workers to easily navigate, backtrack, and type on the screen. Workers don’t need to know the intricacies of keyboard and mouse shortcuts and will avoid using the wrong tool or function. For example, Apple’s iPhone and iPad utilize NUIs that allow workers in the field to "zoom" by pinching and squeezing content between their fingers. This means they don't have to hunt around for a "zoom" button or call the IT department because they accidentally changed the font size and can't figure out why everything is now so big.
