With the rapid development of AI technology, voice-controlled smart speakers are becoming increasingly popular due to their convenience and ability to control compatible home devices. Despite their growing use, smart speakers often lack a display and offer little to no visual feedback, as is the case with manually controlled devices. This aspect makes them difficult to use, leaving room for further research and improvement.
As such, a research team led by Dr. Toshihisa Doi, a professor at the Graduate School of Human Life and Ecology at Osaka Metropolitan University, recruited 39 young adults (22 men and 17 women), who had never used smart speakers, to assess the learning of VUIs (voice user interfaces), such as how a new user learns to use them and usability issues.
In the experiment, participants were asked to perform 10 operational tasks on the smart speaker under four conditions combining voice or remote operation, with and without a display screen.
The results of the usability evaluation showed that although the user became more or less proficient after two or three trials in all conditions, the degree of usability remained the same. Lack of feedback from the system and distrust of the system due to response errors may have contributed to the usability problems.
“These findings will help improve the usability of smart speakers as they evolve,” said Dr. Doi. “While it is important to consider technical aspects as the number of new products and services increases, we want to continue our research to improve the usability and adoption of these technologies so that even those who are unfamiliar with them can enjoy their convenience without being left behind.”
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