Alma-based InvoTek, a research and development company, has received a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research grant from the National Institutes of Health.
The grant will fund the development of a prototype device that enables people with difficult to understand speech to use their natural speech to communicate effectively, even in noisy rooms.
This new research builds on the custom speech recognition software behind InvoTek's da Vinci Award winning product, SSR. Real Talk is a collaboration of InvoTek, speech scientists in Oregon, and clinical researchers at the Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in Lincoln, Neb.
“Speaking is essential to how we convey our personality to others," said Tom Jakobs, InvoTek's president. "When someone must use a machine to talk for them because of disability, it limits their opportunity to express themselves and interact on a personal level. Real Talk will augment natural, dysarthric speech with text to help listeners understand while simultaneously valuing the speaker's natural voice."
Approximately 500,000 people in the United States have dysarthria, a condition that makes it impossible to speak clearly, hindering spoken communication. Most assistive communication devices in the market attempt to replace natural speech with computer-generated speech, but most people find these devices lacking when it comes to face-to-face conversations.
The speech recognition software within Real Talk enables these people to use their natural speech, and supports the listener with a text screen so that they can read the words that they are cannot understand. This unique speech recognition system is the core of Real Talk, and can even be used in noisy environments.
Founded in 1988, InvoTek specializes in applying technology to the needs of people with severe disabilities. InvoTek is a founding sponsor of Be Extraordinary, a non-profit organization that helps people with severe disabilities who want to accomplish a life goal.