VRIO (Virtual Reality Input/Output) is a device independent, transport transparent framework that enables voice-based remote control of arbitrary devices. It uses mobile clients for speech interaction and provides a flexible mapping of user commands to control messages to trigger physical devices (actuators) and software components. Users can map speech commmands to an arbitrarily complex control logic, which lets VRIO perform even intricate interaction tasks using simple voice commands. The rule set used to induce changes in the actuator set is the core component for an intelligent device control environment.

The capabilities of VRIO are demonstrated in an immersive VR editor, Holodeck, that enables users to manipulate 3D structures in a CAVE using voice commands. An even more complex scenario enables speech-based interaction with wall-sized communication displays in public areas: Users may access their network-based multimedia content repositories using voice commands to create notes or retrieve and interact with photo galleries, videos, and other networked services. The two scenarios demonstrate the generality and flexibility of the VRIO framework and the ability to interface it with highly diverse computing environments. The extensible architecture of the VRIO framework is the basis for future research projects in speech-based, pro-active pervasive computing environments.