VOICE-ACTIVATED PHONE FOR THE SPINAL CORD-INJURED

THE LONG-TERM OBJECTIVE OF THIS RESEARCH IN PHASE I AND PHASE II IS TO DEVELOP A SPEAKER-INDEPENDENT, VOICE-ACTIVATED TELEPHONE INTERFACE FOR USE BY QUADRIPLEGICS AND OTHERS, WITH THE INNOVATIVE CAPABILITY OF HANDLING SPEECH PRODUCED BY PEOPLE WHO REQUIRE VENTILATORS. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES INCLUDE: (1) COLLECTING AND ANALYZING "VENTILATOR SPEECH" PRODUCED BY PEOPLE WITH SPINAL CORD INJURIES AT DIFFERENT PHASES OF REHABILITATION; (2) MODIFYING EMERSON & STERN'S EXISTING SOLILOQUY(R) VOICE INTERFACE SOFTWARE TO HANDLE BREATH-REALTED INTERFERENCE AND IGNORE NON-SPEECH INTERJECTINS, WITHOUT COMPROMISING SOLILOQUY(R) 'S CURRENT SPEAKER-INDEPENDENCE; AND (3) DETERMINING IF AN ADQUATE TELEPHONE INTERFACE CAN BE AFFIXED TO A HALO ORTHOTIC. THESE OBJECTIVES WIL BE MET BY (1) RECORDING RELEPHONE NUMBERS SPOKEN BY PATIENTS AT SHARP HOSPITAL'S REHABILITATION CENTER, (2) USING A SERIES OF IN-HOUSE SOFTWARE TOOLS FOR SPEECH ANALYSIS; (3) ITERATIVELY IMPROVIING SOLILOQUY(R)'S MICROPHONE RECOGNITION ALGORITHMS AND TESTING THE RESULTS; (4) MAKING SIMILAR CHANGES TO TELEPHONE-BASED ALGORITHMS; AND (5) TESTING A CERVICAL ORTHOSIS-MOUNTED PHONE INTERFACE. OTHER VOICE-ACTIVATED PHONES ARE SPEAKER-DEPENDENT, REQUIRING USERS TO "RE-TRAIN" THE SYSTEM EVERY TIME THEIR VOICE CHANGES. NO OTHER SYSTEM HAS SOLILOQUY(R)'S LINGUISTIC ABILITY TO IGNORE A NON-SPEECH SOUND BY TREATING IT AS EXTRANEOUS SPEECH.