SBIR Phase I: Intelligent Word Completion for Indian Languages

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project involves research in the area of intelligent word completion software as applied to a range of Indian languages for use in electronic devices where data entry is involved. Software for word completion in mobile phones is ubiquitous. However, the attributes for different languages vary (e.g. in their script), so the results for one language do not necessarily carry over to other languages. The goals of this Phase I research are to translate the superior results for English into similar performance for Indian languages by adapting the novel methods already developed for English. India (and Asia) has been the fastest growing market for cell phones recently. It will soon become one of the largest markets. Text messaging is also extremely widely used there owing to its low cost. Thus, there is a significant opportunity to transform the market for word completion in Indian (and Asian) languages. If successful, the result will be the implementation of a dramatic new capability for these languages that addresses a significant market opportunity. This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).