Abstract-Due to the contribution to a more natural and efficient human-computer interaction style, multimodal interactive systems are becoming more and more commonplace and cover a wide range of applicants. Therefore, there seems to be an urgent need for an introduction to related concepts of multimodal interaction and an analytical review of the-state-of-the-art. In this paper, we try to present a brief review of some of the significant aspects in multimodal interaction. At first, the definition and advantages of multimodal systems are discussed, and then a brief development history of multimodal interaction is introduced. Next, we touch on the recent development in the breadth of work on input/output modalities and fusion engine. Finally, we provide a personal outlook for the research of multimodal interaction. It is our hope for this paper to provide a picture of the contemporary state of multimodal interaction research and a meaningful outlook for this research field.