MultimodaliXML

What is MultimodaliXML ?
MultimodaliXML tool is an assembly of five software modules for computer-aided design of multimodal user interfaces. The tool supports a transformational approach that progressively moves from a Task Model and a Domain Model to a multimodal final user interface, where graphical and vocal interactions are considered. The five software modules can be identified in the first screenshot:

• IdealXML tool: allows graphical description of Task model, Domain model and the mappings between them. Moreover, it automatically generates the corresponding UsiXML specification for each involved models.
  
• TransformiXML tool: is the core module of the MultimodaliXML tool. It allows the application of transformation systems specified according to different design options. The module supports the transformation of Task and Domain Models into Abstract UI Model (which is independent of the interaction modality) and the transformation of Abstract UI Model into different Concrete UI Models (e.g., Graphical UI Model, Vocal UI Model, Multimodal UI Model).
• GrafiXML tool: automatically generates final graphical UIs (i.e., XHTML web pages) from the graphical specification corresponding to the Concrete UI Model of UsiXML. For more information see the GrafiXML plugins page.
• VoiceXML Generator tool: is a module involved in step 4 of the transformational approach. It generates VoiceXML code by applying XSL Transformations over the vocal specification of the Concrete UI Model.
• XHTML+Voice Generator tool: generates XHTML+Voice (X+V) code by applying XSL Transformation over the vocal and graphical specifications corresponding to the Concrete UI Model of UsiXML. The resultant code can be further edited/modified within IBM Multimodal Toolkit and interpreted with IBM Multimodal Browsers (i.e., NetFront browser, Opera browser).

Screenshots/videos


The following videos are available:

Methodological aspects:

• Video 1: task model generated with IdealXML
• Video 2: domain model generated with IdealXML
• Video 3: mapping model generated with IdealXML
• Video 4: Transformation model containing transformation rules applied by TransformiXML

Several Resultat Final User Interfaces

• Car rental application with vocal assignement for input
• Map browsing application with vocal assignement for input
  
• Map browsing application with multimodal input
  

Requirements
For each software module see the Requirements section of the corresponding web page.

Download
You can download each software module from the corresponding page. For VoiceXML Generator and XHTML+Voice Generator tools there is no public release.

Author
MultimodaliXML is developed by Adrian Stanciulescu jointly with the developers of IdealXML, TransformiXML and GrafiXML tools (see Author section of the corresponding tool), in the context of SIMILAR project. Adrian Stanciulescu is currently Ph.D. researcher in the Unit of Information Systems, School of Management, University of Louvain, Belgium.

Publications

• Stanciulescu, A., Vanderdonckt, J., Mens, T., Colored Graph Transformation Rules for Model-Driven Engineering of Multi-Target Systems, Proc. of 3rd Int. Workshop on Graph and Model Transformation GraMoT’2008 (Leipzig, May 12, 2008), ACM Press, New York, 2008, to appear.
  
• Vanderdonckt, J., Coutaz, J., Calvary, G., Stanciulescu, A., Multimodality for Plastic User Interfaces: Models, Methods, and Principles, in “Multimodal user interfaces: from signals to interaction”, D. Tzovaras (ed.), Chap. 3, Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 2007, pp. 79-105.
  
• Sottet, J.-S., Calvary, G., Coutaz, J., Favre, J.-M., Vanderdonckt, J., Stanciulescu, A., Lepreux, S., A Language Perspective on the Development of Plastic Multimodal User Interfaces, Journal of Multimodal User Interfaces, Vol. 1, No. 2, 2007.
  
• Stanciulescu, A., Vanderdonckt, J., Macq, B., Automatic Usability Assessment of Multimodal User Interfaces Based on Ergonomic Rules, Proc. of E-Mode Joint Workshop on Multimodal Interfaces 2007 (Paris, 27-28 September 2007), S. Praud (ed.).
  
• Stanciulescu, A., A Transformational Approach for Developing Multimodal Web Applications, DEA thesis, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, June 2006.
  
• Stanciulescu, A., Vanderdonckt, J., Design Options for Multimodal Web Applications, Proc. of 6th Int. Conf. on Computer-Aided Design of User Interfaces CADUI'2006 (Bucharest, 6-8 June 2006), Chapter 4, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 2006, pp. 41-56.
  
• Stanciulescu, A., Limbourg, Q., Vanderdonckt, J., Michotte, B., Montero, F., A Transformational Approach for Developing Multimodal Web User Interfaces based on UsiXML, Working Paper IAG n°06/02, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain School of Management, Louvain-la-Neuve, 2006.
  
• Stanciulescu, A., Limbourg, Q., Vanderdonckt, J., Michotte, B., Montero, F., A Transformational Approach for Multimodal Web User Interfaces based on UsiXML, Proc. of 7th Int. Conf. on Multimodal Interfaces ICMI'2005 (Trento, 4-6 October, 2005), ACM Press, New York, 2005, pp. 259-266. . The poster is also available .
  
• Stanciulescu, A., Limbourg, Q., Vanderdonckt, J., Graful-modalitate de reprezentare a elementelor interfetei cu utilizatorul, Proc. of 1st National Conference on Computer-Human Interaction RoCHI'2004 (Bucharest, September 23-24, 2004), Trausan-Matu, S., Pribeanu, C. (Eds.), Polytechnic University of Bucharest, Bucharest, 2004, pp. 115-121.