SBIR Phase II: Natural Language Voice Controlled Science Equipment

这个小企业创新研究SBIR二期项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发一种自然语言语音控制的实验室助理技术，使盲人或弱视学生以及普通学生能够动手学习科学。实验室助理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。实验室助手将集成传感器硬件和移动应用程序，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将包括软件的开发，可以响应广泛的自然语言问题，并将许多尖端技术（无线传感器、移动应用程序、语音识别软件和辅助技术）系统集成到一个简单的科学教育用户界面中。语音交互将帮助学生克服传统触觉和视觉技术的障碍，由于听觉帮助的存在而更加独立地工作，并获得对STEM能力的信心。对于教师，实验室助理将提供一个“房间里的专家”来帮助指导动手活动。实验室助理对没有接受过正式科学培训的教师尤其有用，但他们需要领导动手的STEM活动。这项小企业创新研究SBIR二期项目将开发一种自然语言语音控制实验室助理技术，使学生能够使用自然语言对话框控制和交互动手科学实验室设备。研究目标是使任何学生都能进行动手实验，并根据自己的实验测量得到听觉反应。研究人员将测量学生对《下一代科学标准》所要求的科学和工程实践的掌握程度的变化，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一般学生群体促进真正的科学活动的能力。该技术可以使失明或视力低下的学生能够更独立地工作，并获得对科学与工程实践的更高水平的掌握。一般学生群体也将能够使用实验室助理增加参与科学活动。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.