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A Dutch-based start-up company has developed a speech-to-text technology that allows people with hearing problems to join in conversations.
The company SpeakSee created the portable technology with the same name. It comprises clip-on microphones and a smartphone app and uses speech-recognition technology to transcribe conversations. SpeakSee immediately displays the transcript on the smartphone screen, which a deaf user can read. As a result, the user can respond to the person he or she is speaking to in real time.
Traditional hearing aids amplify all kinds of sounds, so the user is exposed to background noise and other people’s voices. SpeakSee addresses this problem by using a state-of-the-art microphone that can filter background noise. Only the speech of the person wearing the microphone will be transcribed.
Up to nine microphones can be connected to SpeakSee, which means that group conversations are possible. The transcript on the user’s smartphone appears color-coded to make it easy to distinguish which person is speaking.
Before SpeakSee, other speech-to-text applications have been developed. In 2016, Ava, a similar speech-to-text application catering to people with hearing problems, was released. Users must place their phones close to the speaker for the app to be able to transcribe the speech.
Another app called Pedius enables users with hearing problems to take calls. With voice recognition and speech translation features, the app can convert a speaker’s speech into text in real time. It can also provide alternatives when the speech is unclear.
Aside from these apps, speech-to-text technology has also been employed for other uses like taking down notes or ideas and in real-time translation and dictation programs.