MediaWheelie - A best practice example for research in Multimodal User Interfaces (MUIs)

Abstract

For many motorically disabled people it is extremely difficult to operate keyboards. This is worst with tiny keyboards for example on mobile phones. This paper reports on research in multimodal user interfaces in order to assist disabled people to operate mobile phones or other equipment of daily life. Research in this area is gaining insight into problems and solutions which are generally applicable to assist the e-Society including elderly people or patients within a hospital. In the project described a so called MediaWheelie was developed, which is itself a common electric wheelchair which is extended by various multimedia devices. The focus was on usability and accessibility by following an end-user centered development. © Sringer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2006.