Research in the domain of multimodal interfaces is by its very essence a multidisciplinary area involving several fields, including signal processing, human-machine interaction, computer science and cognitive science. Although each of these fields already has an overwhelming number of excellent scientific journals, there is a demonstrable need for a specifically multidisciplinary contribution. This is the rationale behind the launching of the new "Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces". By choosing to use the word Interfaces rather than Interactions in the title, a preference is shown for contributions which illustrate verifiable realisations over purely theoretical musings. We would like this journal to focus on multimodal interfaces developed with an emphasis on user-centric design and thus usability and architectural considerations are also key targets of the journal.
The Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces aims to become a standard reference for multidisciplinary work in the development of multimodal interfaces and we feel this emphasis is already well illustrated by the contents of the first issue of the journal. The Editorial team would like to thank all the contributors to this first issue of this new journal for their excellent work. We hope that this issue will be the beginning of a long series of innovative contributions driving new research in the field of multimodal interactions.