Voice Gestures

语音手势

• 批准号: 7207993
• 负责人: CORINE ANNA BICKLEY
• 金额: $ 14.81万
• 依托单位: ENABLEREHAB, LTD
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2007-02-12 至 2008-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/7207993
• 关键词: Acoustics; Adult; Augmentative and Alternative Communication device; Back; Biological; Businesses; Characteristics; Communication; Communities; Devices; Emotional; English Language; Equipment; Family; Friends; Gestures; Hearing; Individual; Learning; Mediating; Noise; Partner Communications; Personality; Persons; Phase; Recommendation; Reporting; Social Interaction; Source; Speech; System; Text; Time; Translating; Underserved Population; Voice; Work; Workplace; alginic acid compound; base; design; evaluation/testing; innovation; skills; sound; tool

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Voice Gestures (VG) is an application that gives AAC users the ability to say what they want to say in a way they choose to say it. VG gives AAC users the means to control how their voice sounds to others, thereby establishing themselves as people with distinct personalities as perceived through their speech, in the manner of people with normal vocal capabilities. VG uses an innovative approach to detect icons in a text string and to translate them into control parameters for a formant-type synthesizer, such as the one used in the DECtalk Text-To-Speech system. A user enters icons along with text or symbols into an AAC device and the VG tool translates each icon into synthesizer parameter strings that control the acoustic characteristics of the synthesized speech. VG is aimed at an underserved population - individuals who cannot use their biological voices to communicate easily with family, friends and their community, and instead rely on using an AAC device that generates synthetic speech. In devices that are currently available, users have very limited control of the way their message sounds. Thus, misunderstandings result and the AAC user becomes frustrated. Another reason indicating the need for the VG tool is that having a way to communicate more clearly will facilitate conversations between users of AAC devices and the others in their worlds, and thus increase their social interactions. Breakdown of communication between partners in an AAC device-mediated communication has been frequently noted. As a result of these frequent breakdowns, users of AAC devices report that many persons are reluctant to spend time interacting with them. We will design a set of VG icons that give device users control of tailoring their own voices to their intentions. Based on recommendations of actual users of AAC devices, we will develop 5 voice gestures (contrastive emphasis, loud and clear reply, tentative answer, sarcasm, and fast reply), synthesize 15 short phrases or words with each voice gesture, and evaluate the ease of use of the icons and the appropriateness of the synthesis. These varieties of voice gesture have been reported by users of AAC devices to be needed. Subjects for testing and evaluations will be both users of AAC devices and their interlocutors. Voice Gestures (VG) add expressiveness to synthetic speech for individuals who cannot use their biological voices to communicate easily with family, friends and their community. Users enter icons along with text or symbols into an AAC device, and the VG tool translates each icon into synthesizer parameter strings that control the acoustic characteristics of the synthesized speech.

描述（由申请人提供）：语音手势（VG）是一种应用程序，它使AAC用户能够以他们选择的方式说出他们想说的话。VG使AAC用户能够控制他们的声音如何听起来，从而以具有正常发声能力的人的方式，将他们自己建立为具有通过他们的讲话感知到的独特个性的人。VG使用一种创新的方法来检测文本字符串中的图标，并将其转换为共振峰类型合成器的控制参数，例如DECtalk文本到语音系统中使用的合成器。用户将图标沿着文本或符号一起输入AAC设备，并且VG工具将每个图标翻译成控制合成语音的声学特性的合成器参数串。VG针对的是服务不足的人群-无法使用其生物声音与家人，朋友和社区轻松沟通的人，而是依赖于使用生成合成语音的AAC设备。在当前可用的设备中，用户对他们的消息的声音的方式的控制非常有限。因此，误解的结果和AAC用户变得沮丧。需要VG工具的另一个原因是，有一种更清晰的沟通方式将促进AAC设备用户与他们世界中的其他人之间的对话，从而增加他们的社交互动。经常注意到AAC器械介导的通信中合作伙伴之间的通信中断。由于这些频繁的故障，AAC设备的用户报告说，许多人不愿意花时间与他们互动。我们将设计一组VG图标，使设备用户能够根据自己的意图控制自己的声音。根据AAC设备实际用户的建议，我们将开发5种语音手势（对比强调、响亮清晰的回复、试探性回答、讽刺和快速回复），用每个语音手势合成15个短语或单词，并评估图标的易用性和合成的适当性。AAC设备的用户已经报告需要这些种类的语音手势。测试和评估的对象将是AAC设备的用户及其对话者。语音手势（VG）为无法使用其生物声音与家人，朋友和社区轻松沟通的个人添加了合成语音的表达能力。用户将图标沿着文本或符号输入AAC设备，VG工具将每个图标转换为控制合成语音的声学特性的合成器参数串。