Challenges in developing a voice input voice output communication aid for people with severe dysarthria

This paper describes the development of a voice-input voice-output communication aid (VIVOCA) for people with disordered or unintelligible speech, initially concentrating on people with severe dysarthria. The VIVOCA is intended to recognize and interpret an individual’s disordered speech and speak out an equivalent message in clear synthesized speech. User consultation suggests that such a device would be acceptable and would be useful in communication situations where speed and intelligibility are crucial. Speech recognition techniques build on previously successful development of speech-based home control interfaces, and various methods for speech ‘translation’ have been evaluated.