IBM Audio Video Speech Recognition System: Gold, Design Explorations

Contact: Robert Steinbugler, IDSA, IBM Corp., USA, 919.848327, mrmoto@us.ibm.com

Credit: IBM Corp. and Camillo Sassano

This IBM research project took a fresh look at computer speech recognition. Researchers noticed that deaf persons understand speech through lip reading unfettered by ambient noise and regional accents, factors that diminish the accuracy of traditional speech recognition programs. By combining information about the speaker's mouth position with traditional audio pattern data, the computer's ability to correctly identify sounds was greatly enhanced. The design objective also focused on the aesthetics of the headset, settling on a small, jewel-like form that would minimize the impact on the user's appearance. This design exploration enabled IBM to understand future product directions and secure interest in further research.

"The solutions for design problems are born, many times, from a connection between elements that belong to different areas of knowledge. The beauty of this project is imagining that the lip reading ability of the deaf can be reproduced by a camera and a special software. It's good to see giant companies like IBM producing such fresh design concepts." -Celso Santos, I/IDSA, President, Rio 21 Design