SBIR-STTR Award

Severely speech-impaired individuals need affordable communication devices with natural-sounding synthetic voices that are appropriate in terms of sex, age, nationality, and dialect. The creation of such voices has been hampered by the high cost of developing speech synthesis software and adding new voices, particularly dialects. We have been working to reduce these development costs via(1) a novel modular approach to the development of synthesis rules for multiple languages and dialects, and(2) the Delta System, a software system for speech synthesis that makes the modular rules possible.We will enhance the Delta System so that synthesis programs generated with it, including the modular rules for seven American English Dialects and other voices to be developed will be optimized to run on less powerful computers of the sort required in compact, affordable communication devices. The result will be a wide variety of high-quality synthetic voices for vocal communication aids at affordable prices.Awardee's statement of the potential commercial applications of the research:Commercial applications for the research include: vocal communication aids for severely vocally-impaired persons, reading machines and computer screen readers for blind and dyslexic persons, telephone access to computer systems, electronic mail, "head-up" instructions, navigation and warning systems for automobiles and airplanes, integrated voice applications in off ice information systems, and others. Our approach is applicable to the synthesis of any language.National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

Eloquent Technology, Inc. (ETI) is optimizing and enhancing the Delta speech synthesis software to extend its advantages to speech-impaired individuals. The primary goal is a flexible software foundation that will give developers of voice output communication aids (VOCAs) greater flexibility in adding needed features to VOCAs, such as new voices, dialects, and languages, and better control over prosody. ETI's Delta software includes: (1) the Delta System, a programming language and interactive environment for cost-efficient development of high-quality, rule-based synthesis programs, and (2) Delta synthesis programs for multiple dialects and languages. Specifically, in its Phase II project, ETI is optimizing the Delta synthesis software to run efficiently on microprocessors appropriate for affordable, battery-powered VOCAs, and will enhance the software with features important for VOCAs. Besides the immediate benefits resulting from this work, the project will lead to a variety of other much-needed features in VOCAs, including control of intonation for expressing emotion. More generally, the optimized Delta software will have applications for speech research and development of all kinds.Awardee's statement of the potential commercial applications of the research: Commercial applications include: voice output communication aids for severely speech-impaired persons, reading machines and computer screen readers for blind and dyslexic persons, telephone access to computer systems, talking computer terminals, electronic mail, talking databases, computer games, talking software tutorials, "head-up" instructions, navigation and warning systems for automobiles and airplanes, integrated voice applications in office information systems, and others. Our approach is applicable to the synthesis of any language.National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)