SBIR Phase II: Natural Language Voice Controlled Science Equipment

这个小型企业创新研究SBIR第二阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发自然语言语音控制的实验室辅助技术，使盲人或视力低下的学生以及普通学生能够动手学习科学。实验室助手应用程序将使用最先进的语音识别技术进行教育科学实验。实验室助手将与传感器硬件和移动的应用程序集成，以实现物理，生物，化学和工程方面的动手实验。实验室助手的影响预计包括开发可以响应各种自然语言问题的软件，以及将许多尖端技术（无线传感器，移动的应用程序，语音识别软件和辅助技术）集成到科学教育的简单用户界面中。语音交互将帮助学生克服传统触摸和视觉技术的残疾，由于听觉帮助的存在，他们可以更独立地工作，并对他们的STEM能力充满信心。对于教师，实验室助理将提供一个“专家在房间里”，以帮助指导动手活动。 实验室助理将是特别有用的教师没有正式的科学培训，但需要领导动手干活动。这个小型企业创新研究SBIR第二阶段项目将开发一种自然语言语音控制的实验室助理技术，使学生能够使用自然语言对话控制和交互动手科学实验室设备。研究目标是使任何学生进行动手实验，并根据自己的实验测量接收可听响应。研究人员将衡量学生掌握下一代科学标准所要求的科学和工程实践的变化，以及对学生对科学，技术，工程和数学学科的态度和信心的影响。研究人员还将测量教师在使用实验室助手时为残疾学生和普通学生开展真实科学活动的能力。该技术可以使盲人或低视力的学生能够更独立地工作，并获得更高水平的科学和工程实践的掌握。一般学生群体也将能够使用实验室助理，以增加科学活动的参与。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research SBIR Phase II project is the development of a natural language voice-controlled lab assistant technology to enable hands-on science learning by students that are blind or have low vision, as well as the general student population. The Lab Assistant application will use state-of-the-art voice recognition technology for educational science experiments. The Lab Assistant will integrate with sensor hardware and mobile apps to enable hands-on experiments in physics, biology, chemistry, and engineering. The impacts of the Lab Assistant are anticipated to include the development of software that can respond to a wide spectrum of natural language questions and the systems integration of many cutting-edge technologies (wireless sensors, mobile apps, voice recognition software, and assistive technology) into a simple user interface for science education. The voice interactions will help students overcome disabilities with traditional touch and visual technologies, work more independently due to the presence of auditory help, and gain confidence in their STEM abilities. For teachers, the Lab Assistant will provide an "expert in the room" to help guide the hands-on activities. The Lab Assistant will be especially useful to teachers without formal science training, that nevertheless need to lead hands-on STEM activities. This Small Business Innovation Research SBIR Phase II project will develop a natural language voice-controlled lab assistant technology that will enable students to control and interact with hands-on science lab equipment using natural language dialog. The research objective is to enable any student to conduct hands-on experiments and receive audible responses based on their own experimental measurements. Researchers will measure the change in student mastery of the Science and Engineering Practices required in the Next Generation Science Standards and the impact on student attitudes and confidence in science, technology, engineering, and math disciplines. Researchers will also measure the teachers’ abilities to facilitate authentic science activities for students with disabilities and the general student population while using the lab assistant. The technology may enable students that are blind or low vision to be able to work more independently and gain higher level mastery of the Science and Engineering Practices. The general student population will also be able to use the lab assistant for increased engagement in science activities.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.