07_July_DD_Multimodal interfaces and the future of inclusive computing

Top 10 Tools Using Multimodal Interfaces

For decades, computers expected us to behave like them. Type in commands. Click buttons. Follow fixed patterns. But people aren’t machines, and we never were. Now, a quiet transformation is taking place. One where devices learn to meet us halfway. This isn’t just about accessibility, though it certainly began there. It’s about recognising that human communication is fluid,we talk, tap, look, move, and feel. 

Enter multimodal interfaces. These are systems that accept more than one type of input, like voice, gesture, eye movement, or touch and often combine them to create a richer, more flexible way of interacting with technology. 

While tech giants have laid some groundwork, it’s a wave of inventive, boundary-pushing products that are truly shaping the future. From wearables that convert sound to vibration to AI that reads your eye movements, here’s a look at ten remarkable platforms that are making multimodal interfaces real right now. 

1. Tobii Dynavox: Eye-tracking with purpose 

Tobii’s assistive technology has given a voice to thousands who can’t speak or use their hands. With eye-tracking as the core input, users can select letters, words, or commands by simply looking at them on-screen. For people with ALS, cerebral palsy, or spinal injuries, this is more than tech. It’s independence. The system often works alongside text-to-speech and switch control, offering multiple ways to communicate depending on physical ability. 

2. Sonde Health: Listening to your wellbeing 

Sonde uses short voice recordings to monitor health. Its AI analyses vocal patterns to detect signs of depression, anxiety, fatigue, and even respiratory issues without requiring wearables or blood tests. This is where multimodal thinking shows its power. Voice isn’t just input, it’s data, context, and diagnostic signal all at once. 

3. Otter.ai: Where conversation becomes text 

Used by students, journalists, and professionals alike, Otter offers real-time transcription during meetings or lectures. It blends voice recognition, on-screen text, editing controls, and touch interactions. You can listen, read, highlight, and correct all at once. It’s a prime example of a multimodal interface that enhances productivity for everyone. 

4. Neosensory Buzz: Sound you can feel 

Developed by neuroscientist David Eagleman’s team, the Buzz wearable converts audio into precise haptic patterns. Designed mainly for deaf and hard-of-hearing users, it lets people “feel” sound in real time. Worn on the wrist, it translates spoken words, environmental noise, and alarms into unique vibrations. This turns auditory input into a tactile language, redefining how we experience the world. 

5. OpenAI’s Whisper (via integrations): Bridging speech and context 

Open AI’s Whisper is a powerful speech recognition model that’s been integrated into many apps. It offers accurate transcription across accents, background noise, and multiple languages. More importantly, developers are now pairing Whisper’s voice input with gesture, visual context, and adaptive UI. These apps shift between voice and screen based on what the user needs. 

6. Humane AI Pin: Tech without screens 

The AI Pin by Humane is a screenless device that clips to your clothing. It responds to voice, uses laser projection to show information on your palm, and even recognises hand gestures and contextual surroundings. It’s early days, but this is one of the most ambitious stabs at multimodal interaction. Voice, touch, gesture, and environment all play a role, blurring the line between device and interface. 

7. Loupedeck Live: Tactile control for the creative mind 

Geared toward content creators, Loupedeck is a customisable console with buttons, dials, and touchscreen inputs. Instead of relying on menus and clicks, users can blend visual cues with muscle memory to work faster. It’s not trying to replace the mouse or keyboard. It’s enhancing them, giving professionals another dimension to interact with creative software. 

8. Gleechi VirtualGrasp: Rehabilitative touch in VR 

Gleechi’s VirtualGrasp software allows users to naturally grab and interact with virtual objects. It simulates hand movement and grip patterns in a way that feels intuitive, even to people recovering from stroke or physical injury. Gesture, touch simulation, and visual feedback work together in a multimodal flow that supports physical therapy, education, and immersive learning. 

9. Eyeware Beam: Your gaze as a controller 

Eyeware Beam turns your phone or webcam into a real-time eye tracker. Originally built for gaming, it now supports accessibility use cases like hands-free navigation or attention tracking in remote learning. Combined with facial cues or head motion, it becomes a lightweight, affordable entry into multimodal control without expensive sensors or glasses. 

10. Skyle for iPad: The tablet, reimagined 

Skyle adds precise eye-tracking to iPads, transforming them into accessible tools for users with mobility challenges. When paired with voice input or Apple’s built-in accessibility features, users can navigate apps, create content, or communicate without lifting a finger. This is inclusive multimodal design in action, powerful, portable, and ready for everyday use. 

Distilled 

These ten tools prove something important. Multimodal interfaces are no longer futuristic ideas. They’re here, and people are using them daily to work, play, connect, and recover. Some tools were built with accessibility in mind. Others were driven by creative needs or health challenges. But all of them demonstrate that when you stop forcing users to adapt to technology, and start letting them interact on their own terms, remarkable things happen. 

Computing is no longer just clicks and taps. It’s speech, glance, touch, and feel, layered together in ways that reflect how we naturally engage with the world. And that’s the real power of multimodal interfaces. They don’t just change the way we use technology. They change who gets to use it. 

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Meera Nair

Drawing from her diverse experience in journalism, media marketing, and digital advertising, Meera is proficient in crafting engaging tech narratives. As a trusted voice in the tech landscape and a published author, she shares insightful perspectives on the latest IT trends and workplace dynamics in Digital Digest.