Modality (human–computer interaction)
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In the context of human–computer interaction, a modality is the classification of a single independent channel of input/output between a computer and a human. Such channels may differ based on sensory nature (e.g., visual vs. auditory),[1] or other significant differences in processing (e.g., text vs. image).[2] A system is designated unimodal if it has only one modality implemented, and multimodal if it has more than one.[1] When multiple modalities are available for some tasks or aspects of a task, the system is said to have overlapping modalities. If multiple modalities are available for a task, the system is said to have redundant modalities. Multiple modalities can be used in combination to provide complementary methods that may be redundant but convey information more effectively.[3] Modalities can be generally defined in two forms: computer-human and human-computer modalities.