1 “ Speech ” EMPOWERED COMPUTING Greenfield Business Centre, 20 th September, 2006

“ Speech ” EMPOWERED COMPUTING 2 Objective Describe what computer speech recognition is, what it can do and how it could help you be more productive

“ Speech ” EMPOWERED COMPUTING 3 Agenda 1. Our heavy reliance on computers nowadays 2. How do you manage your , report and letter writing commitments? 3. Demonstration – Microsoft Word 4. Speech recognition on the computer  What is it?  How does it work?  What software is available?  History of speech recognition  What can it do?  Demonstration – Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook  What do you need to get started?  How easy is it to set up, what results can I expect?  How much does it cost?  Demonstration – Internet browsing (recorded) 5. Which users can speech recognition help? 6. Transcription from digital recorder (from a training CD)

“ Speech ” EMPOWERED COMPUTING 4 Our heavy reliance on computers Are you like this?

“ Speech ” EMPOWERED COMPUTING 5 Our heavy reliance on computers Or like this?

“ Speech ” EMPOWERED COMPUTING 6 How do you manage your , report and letter writing commitments? Reply to s immediately Write letters promptly Write reports before they are due “I’ll reply in a few days time” “I’ll write that letter when I get a chance!” “I’ll write that report when I get a minute” “I’ll reply one of these days!” “I never seem to have time to write letters” “I can’t remember the last time I typed a report”

“ Speech ” EMPOWERED COMPUTING 7 Demonstration Microsoft Word

“ Speech ” EMPOWERED COMPUTING 8 Speech recognition- what is it? Speech recognition (in many contexts also known as automatic speech recognition, computer speech recognition or erroneously as voice recognition) is the process of converting a speech signal to a set of words, by means of an algorithm implemented as a computer program. Speech recognition applications that have emerged over the last years include voice dialling (e.g., Call home), call routing (e.g., I would like to make a collect call), simple data entry (e.g., entering a credit card number), and preparation of structured documents (e.g., a radiology report). Voice or speaker recognition is a related process that attempts to identify the person speaking, as opposed to what is being said. Source:

“ Speech ” EMPOWERED COMPUTING 9 Speech recognition- how does it work?

“ Speech ” EMPOWERED COMPUTING 10 What software is available? Microsoft Windows 2000 and XP iListen (Apple Mac) Dragon NaturallySpeaking IBM ViaVoice

“ Speech ” EMPOWERED COMPUTING 11 History of speech recognition

“ Speech ” EMPOWERED COMPUTING 12 Speech recognition- what can it do? Dictate, punctuate, format, correct recognition errors, edit text. Open programs, navigate menus, and click buttons Open, close and switch between applications s Access files and folders Commands – built-in and custom (macros) to automate your work Surf the web Roaming Digital recorder

“ Speech ” EMPOWERED COMPUTING 13 Demonstration Demonstration – Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook

“ Speech ” EMPOWERED COMPUTING 14 Speech recognition- what can it do? VERY ACCURATE - Up to 99% accuracy, never makes a spelling mistake, gets smarter the more you use it FASTER THAN TYPING! - Most people speak over 120 words per minute, but type less than 40 words a minute. Create letters and s about three times faster than typing by hand! EASY TO USE - dictate letters, s and surfing the web by voice very quickly. USE WITH ANY WINDOWS PROGRAM - Use voice to dictate, edit and control applications like Microsoft ® Word, Microsoft ® Excel, Microsoft Internet Explorer, and Corel ® WordPerfect ®. WIRELESS/BLUETOOTH SUPPORT - Use with certain Wireless and Bluetooth headsets. MOBILE - Dictate into a handheld device for automatic transcription when you synchronise with the PC.

“ Speech ” EMPOWERED COMPUTING 15 Speech recognition- what can it do? It can never be 100% accurate Need to take time to:-  Learn the software  Speak clearly  Correctness recognised words  Add custom words and phrases Cannot transcribe conference recordings Can’t recognise a casual new user Caution over the claimed 120 words per minute wpm – see next chart “Watch outs”

“ Speech ” EMPOWERED COMPUTING 16 Speech recognition- what can it do? “Watch outs”

“ Speech ” EMPOWERED COMPUTING 17 What you need to get started? Computer – minimum of:-  P4 processor with speed of 1.8 GHz  512 Mb RAM memory Windows 2000 SP4, Windows XP (SP1 or SP2), XP Home High accuracy, noise-cancelling microphone A good quality sound card Low background noise Recommend day’s training

“ Speech ” EMPOWERED COMPUTING 18 How easy is it to set up? 1. Create a new user < 5 mins 2. Run audio set up < 5 mins

“ Speech ” EMPOWERED COMPUTING 19 How easy is it to set up? 3. Choose and read an enrolment training text (20 mins) Total time to be up and running – approx 30 mins!

“ Speech ” EMPOWERED COMPUTING 20 What results can I expect? After use of vocabulary editor, correction of mistakes, use of document analyser etc Transcription speed up to 120 wpm Actual speed less as need to proof/correct Composition speed depends on user

“ Speech ” EMPOWERED COMPUTING 21 How much does it cost? Dragon software  Preferred version - £119  Professional version - £495 Hardware  Noise cancelling microphone – typical price £40 - £110  USB sound pod - £50 - £60 Training - varies according to provider - expect to pay £250 for a half day

“ Speech ” EMPOWERED COMPUTING 22 Demonstration Internet Explorer demonstration (recorded)

“ Speech ” EMPOWERED COMPUTING 23 Which users can speech recognition help? Corporate teams Office Workers Secretaries Administrators Lecturers Teachers Students Lawyers Solicitors Quantity surveyors Financial Advisers Users with disabilities Mobile users

“ Speech ” EMPOWERED COMPUTING 24 Demonstration Transcription from digital recorder (from training CD)