Remote Cognitive State Assessment Using Voice Analysis

"Military and civilian experience has shown that long-duration assignments present increased risk of performance failures as the mission progresses. This is due to interruption of normal sleep cycles and to the psychological pressures of the living andworking environment. The overall objective of this project is twofold: (1) to ensure the safety and effectiveness of friendly military personnel, and (2) to access the level of fatigue of military opponents.Creare proposes to provide these measures using automated voice analysis software algorithms that can be operated from a wide range of hardware platforms already receiving remote communications from military personnel.In Phase I, we will identify and characterize changes in fatigue sensitive components of voiced words as the speaker's level of alertness changes. Voice analysis results will be compared to fatigue assessment techniques routinely used in sleeplaboratories. In Phase II, we will design, build, and test a system that automatically determines a remote speaker's level of fatigue. Further testing will be done to extend the capabilities of the system to discriminate between changes in voice due tofatigue, intoxication, or physical impairment. Extension of the system's capabilities to non-English speakers will also be demonstrated. The ability to predict the readiness of personnel involved in long duty time or stressful activities has widespread military and commercial uses