Sensor technology, signal processing, and data fusion : toward the natural user interface and beyond

Sensor technology is the most promising and most radical innovation in information and communication technology, both for exploring big data and building simpler user interfaces. The move from the traditional interface toward immersive interaction with the machine (e.g. haptics, gesture, speech, and bioelectric input) will be fostered by a new generation of highly integrated, intelligent sensors and new software paradigms. This innovation will also involve machine-to-machine interaction, thanks to more extensive application of digital signal-processing (DSP) technology and softcomputing methods for data fusion.