Here’s an interesting story from NPR on emerging technologies in muscular Speech Recognition and application with Speech Output which could be used as an alternative communication device. How do you think it could be used?
If you listen to this story, be sure to distinguish the three types of communication for individuals without a voice: a) electrolarynx, which is the most robotic sounding and is the oldest of the 3 here b) the "voice prosthesis" which is a procedure that has been around for decades, also called a TE puncture. That is the one is described as difficult to make /h/ sounds with.
The newest technology is c) computer recognition of muscle movements in speech. This is interesting but not yet very well developed as you can hear at the end of the segment. In the form it is described here, it would be the rare laryngectomy client who would want to use it instead of the TE puncture procedure because of all the wires.
But, as it gets more sophisticated, it may have applicability to people with motor impairments (e.g. dysarthria) too, and that is when it will get interesting.
Pat ----------------- Patricia Dowden, Ph.D., CCC-SLP Clinical Assistant Professor Speech & Hearing Sciences University of Washington
Hi:
ReplyDeleteIf you listen to this story, be sure to distinguish the three types of communication for individuals without a voice:
a) electrolarynx, which is the most robotic sounding and is the oldest of the 3 here
b) the "voice prosthesis" which is a procedure that has been around for decades, also called a TE puncture. That is the one is described as difficult to make /h/ sounds with.
The newest technology is
c) computer recognition of muscle movements in speech. This is interesting but not yet very well developed as you can hear at the end of the segment. In the form it is described here, it would be the rare laryngectomy client who would want to use it instead of the TE puncture procedure because of all the wires.
But, as it gets more sophisticated, it may have applicability to people with motor impairments (e.g. dysarthria) too, and that is when it will get interesting.
Pat
-----------------
Patricia Dowden, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Clinical Assistant Professor
Speech & Hearing Sciences
University of Washington