SBIR Phase I: Natural Language Voice Controlled Science Equipment

SBIR第一阶段项目将开发自然语言语音控制实验室助手技术，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。实验室辅助技术将连接科学设备硬件、移动或计算机应用程序，以及用于语音识别和数据分析的云软件。学生可以进行动手实验，提出诸如“我的火箭飞多高？”或“手推车碰撞的力是多少？”这样的问题，并根据他们自己的实验测量得到听觉反应。该实验室助手是为以下学生设计的：(1)失明或视力低下的学生，(2)影响身体技能的残疾学生，(3)将受益于个性化教育计划（IEPs）要求的多感官学习方法的学生，以及(4)一般学生将受益于科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）的增加参与。实验室助理技术的更广泛影响将是通过K-12教育工作者在STEM领域的专业发展来促进教与学，并使代表性不足的群体广泛参与真正的科学探究。拟议的实验室助手将是最先进的语音识别技术在教育科学实验中的首次应用。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、地球科学、化学和工程方面的动手实验。实验室助手的智力优势在于：(1)开发了能够响应广泛自然语言问题的软件；(2)将许多尖端技术（无线传感器、移动应用程序、语音识别软件、基于云的数据分析算法）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，更有效地在团队中工作，并获得对STEM能力的信心。对于教师，实验室助理将提供“专家在房间”，以帮助指导他们已经做的动手活动，并提供技术支持。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。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。

This SBIR Phase I project will develop Natural Language Voice-Controlled Lab Assistant technology that enables students to control and interact with hands-on science lab equipment using natural language dialog. The lab assistant technology will connect with science equipment hardware, a mobile or computer app, and cloud-based software for speech recognition and data analysis. A student can perform hands-on experiments, ask questions like "How high did my rocket go?" or "What was the force of the cart collision?", and receive audible responses based on their own experimental measurements. The lab assistant is designed for students that encompass (1) students who are blind or low vision, (2) students with disabilities affecting physical skills, (3) students that would benefit from multi-sensory learning methods as required in Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), and (4) generally students that would benefit from increased engagement in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The broader impacts of the lab assistant technology will be to promote teaching and learning through professional development of K-12 educators in STEM, and enable broad participation of under-represented groups of people in authentic science inquiry.The proposed Lab Assistant will be the first application of 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, earth science, chemistry, and engineering. The intellectual merits of the Lab Assistant are (1) the development of software that can respond to a wide spectrum of natural language questions and (2) the systems integration of many cutting-edge technologies (wireless sensors, mobile apps, voice recognition software, cloud-based data analysis algorithms) into a simple user interface for science education. The voice interactions will help students overcome disabilities with traditional touch and visual technology, work more independently due to the presence of auditory help, work more effectively in groups, 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 that they already do, and provide technical support. The Lab Assistant will be especially useful to teachers without formal science training, that nevertheless need to lead hands-on STEM 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.