Making human-machine communication 'more human'

Have you ever checked a phone directory listing or ordered a cab and wished that the automated telephone speech recognition system would respond to your frustration?
A new research network, led by the University of Western Sydney and Macquarie University, is set to revolutionise human-machine communication by linking the world's top scientific, engineering and information technology minds with psychologists, creative artists, musicians and linguists for a fresh and creative approach to the field.