Individual apps that can recognize voices make it possible to speak
To live a whole life, you need to be able to talk to other people. It can be challenging for people who need help speaking to be heard. Now, there is a platform that lets them speak without any problems.
An Israeli company called Voiceitt wants to help people who have trouble speaking be understood by voice. According to a news release, the company’s goal was to use artificial intelligence (AI) to make a cheap voice recognition tool to help people whose speech is difficult to understand because of a medical condition, disability, or old age. With this tool, these people can talk to others and live more independently.
The idea that led to Voiceitt
NoCamels said that the idea for the app came from real-life events. Voiceitt’s co-founder and VP of partnership, Sara Smolley, had a grandma who lost her speech because she got Parkinson’s disease at a young age.
“Her speech was greatly affected,” Smolley told NoCamels. “That made it harder for her to connect with
my brothers and me because we couldn’t understand what she was saying.”
There were other people with her. The company’s co-founder, Danny Weissberg, is a seasoned software worker whose close family member had a stroke and lost the ability to speak.
These events made the partners realize that nurses and family members could understand the speech patterns of people who couldn’t fully use their voices if they spent enough time with and talked to them. Smalley said, “It’s like a mother knows her child”. “Our goal is to help people talk to each other by voice”.
Steps for using the Voiceitt
Since Voiceitt is a web-based tool, you can use it on any device connecting to the internet, like a computer or a smartphone, without downloading a program or app. Your voice can be turned into writing or computer-generated speech. This makes it possible for the person using it to talk to someone in person or online.
AI is based on speech recognition and machine learning algorithms that differ for each person. VoiceItt makes a new user repeat many words, phrases, and sentences to learn how people talk.
“In this new world of voice-activated smart homes, smart cars, smart speakers, and smart tools, we could do a lot more by not only making a product but also letting people with speech disabilities use these new technologies,” Smalley said.
The company made the tech over many years, and it was released in 2023. This is Voiceitt’s second version. The second version is even better and easier to use than the first. Because it sped up the process of getting them started, it also doesn’t require any hands and can be used by people with physical challenges.
Michael Cash, a product manager at Voiceitt with cerebral palsy, was essential in making the second version. “Dictating emails and work documents is much faster than typing on a keyboard,” Cash said. “I can even access it on my phone and send emails and WhatsApp messages.”
Since the new platform went live a few months ago, the company has been working hard to form relationships with other businesses and groups so that they can use the technology on their platforms.
“What’s most important to us is that we can help people be their best selves, whether at work or in their
personal lives,” Smalley said. “And talking to people is so important for that.”
