INDEPENDENT LIVING D R M
Discover Voiceitt, The App Providing Independence Through Voice Sometimes it is the simplest solution that can provide amazing independence for disabled people. VOICEITT is an AIpowered speech recognition app for individuals with speech impairments, which translates atypical speech to allow users to communicate in their own voice with loved ones, caretakers and others. Voiceitt is integrated with Amazon Alexa Services, meaning that users can control Alexa-connected smart home devices seamlessly with the Voiceitt app. This allows users to send a command to the smart assistant, e.g., Amazon Alexa, through an integrated API, enabling users to control channels on their TV or turning on a light – offering them a new degree of independence they never had before. When setting up Voiceitt, users are prompted to train the application on specific phrases so that the app can learn each person’s unique way of pronouncing that phrase. Voiceitt comes with suggested phrases for various environments and uses like schools or smart homes, as well as an option for a customised dictionary created by the user. Voiceitt has two modes; Smart Home which allows control of home devices and Talk. Voiceitt Talk translates atypical speech and plays the desired output using a unique automatic speech recognition (ASR) engine . Voiceitt Talk helps in everyday situations like allowing the
disabili t yreviewmagazine.co.uk
user to order food in a restaurant or communicate with others. Voiceitt helps anyone with nonstandard speech – even those with severe speech impairments can benefit from Voiceitt’s app, including people with Cerebral Palsy, Down’s Syndrome, etc. The app also serves older adults with deteriorating speech resulting from strokes, Alzheimer’s Disease etc. Voiceitt offers its solution to consumers, non-profit organizations, healthcare professionals, hospitals, care centers and more. Voiceitt isn’t just an app, it’s a way of communicating, promoting inclusion and independence through the power of voice Voiceitt’s mission is to help those with non standard speech by allowing them to use their own voice to communicate and be understood, along with controlling their smart home independently. Being reliant on someone else has an impact on one’s sense of self and independence. Using the Voiceitt app, individuals who once had to call someone to turn off a light can now turn it off themselves, change the TV channel, or play their favorite music, creating a sense of self-reliance that is empowering and freeing. Currently, there are a number of assistive technologies that help people with speech disabilities communicate – however, these technologies are either movement- or touch-based. Voiceitt is the first technology that allows individuals with speech impairments to communicate using their own voice. With Voiceitt, these individuals – who make up approximately 1.5% of the world’s population – can finally reap the benefits of AI-powered innovation in voice recognition.
Meet Danny Weissberg, the founder of Voiceitt. Danny Weissberg, the CEO and Co-founder of Voiceitt, grew up very close to his beloved grandmother, when suddenly, as a result of a stroke, her speech became impaired. After a number of visits to his grandmother, Danny realized that the nurse who cared for her was able to understand her speech. It was then that Danny had an epiphany: if a nurse can learn to comprehend difficult-to-understand speech, why can’t technology? That began Danny’s mission to create Voiceitt, an app that makes speech recognition technology accessible to everyone, giving a voice to all.
Author: Danny Weissberg, CEO & Cofounder of Voiceitt | website: voiceitt.com Facebook: facebook.com/VoiceItt LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/voiceitt/
DR M | S U M M E R - 2 0 21
43
