Concurrent speech interface

An interaction paradigm that presents multiple speech audio streams simultaneously, spatially separated using techniques like head-related transfer functions, to enable users to scan or monitor several information items in parallel rather than listening to them sequentially. Concurrent speech interfaces leverage the cocktail party effect and are proposed as a way to accelerate non-visual information browsing for screen reader users and sighted audio consumers alike. Studies show two concurrent sources are effective for most users, three sources work for identification tasks, and spatial separation is the primary design cue for distinguishing streams.