2. What is Voice Recognition Software?
Voice recognition software allows you to talk to your
computer wearing a headset, so that what you say
into the microphone is typed on your screen. Some
software also allows you to verbally work the mouse
on your computer.
Certain software also enables the computer to directly
read text to you from the computer screen.
Certain programs, specifically for people with a
deteriorating speech, save the user speech after
every session so it is able to keep up and still
understand the speech next time.
3. Who is Voice Recognition Software
Designed For?
Voice recognition software was initially designed
for using in automated phone systems, like
when you call the cable company to pay your
bill and you talk with a machine.
This type of software is also used in businesses,
primarily for medical and legal transcriptions.
4. Which types of students with
disabilities most benefit from this?
Although not initially designed for students/people with
disabilities, voice recognition software has grown to be
incredibly helpful in this area.
People with no hands, or those that are unable to type for
whatever reason due to their physical disability, use this
software to help with schoolwork. This would include
blind students as well.
Also, students with learning disabilities benefit. For
example, a student with dyslexia that has trouble seeing
the words they type accurately would benefit from the
speech to text factor to get their papers done, and they
would also benefit from the text to speech factor seeing
as they have trouble with reading words.
5. Popular Voice Recognition Software
It seems that in researching
this topic, Dragon
NaturallySpeaking is the
most popular software
used. They even have an
app for your iphone! It has
a 99% accuracy level,
which is the best out there.
The Cons of this software
is that it is very expensive
(about $200), and it uses a
lot of computer memory.
6. Benefits of Voice Recognition
Software
Voice recognition software helps children with
physical and mental disabilities stay on par
with their peers, and puts them on a more
equal level. They are able to get the same
information as other students, even if they
have trouble reading, and they are able to
communicate their ideas, even if they have
trouble writing/typing. It saves them time as
well, as many students with these disabilities
would take much longer to read and write
without this software, and not get as accurate
results.
7. Weaknesses of Voice Recognition
Software
Although voice recognition technology has come a long way, it
still has some flaws. For example, even though you can talk
fairly conversationally and still have high accuracy, there are
always issues with having 100% accuracy, especially if you
have a thick accent.
It is also necessary that you do speech to text in a quiet room,
where background noise doesn't interfere with the recognition
of what you are saying.
Also, a significant amount of hardware space is taken up by
these programs, since they need to have an extensive
vocabulary. Depending on your computer, this can be harmful
to it.
This software can also have difficulty with homonyms, so when
you say “there,” they could interpret it as “they're” or “their” as
well.
8. The Future of Voice Recognition
Software
Scientists are currently working on a universal
voice recognition translator of sorts, where
people of any language can speak, and what
they say can be translated into any language,
in both speech and text formats.
Though far in the future, it may also be possible
for computers to not only recognize what you
are saying, but understand what you are
saying and communicate back with you as
well. (crazy!)
