IBM Achieves Major Breakthrough in Voice Recognition

IBM Achieves Major Breakthrough in Voice Recognition

IBM today announced a voice technology breakthrough that can allow automobile drivers and handheld device users to speak commands naturally without memorizing specific predetermined commands. Released as part of the IBM Embedded ViaVoice 4.4 software package, it is a significant technology advance for embedded speech technology in devices and automobile navigation systems.

The new offering is designed to provide users with new flexibility and accuracy in embedded speech devices. Previously, individuals were required to learn, memorize and use a fixed set of phrases and commands to interact with speech recognition systems. For example, when asking for “Radio 104.3 FM,” the new IBM-pioneered technology allows drivers to simply say, “Tune to 104.3,” or “Set the radio station to 104.3,” or “Change the radio station to 104.3.” A great variety of intuitive commands would change the radio station to the desired channel, thus eliminating the need to memorize a specific command list.

IBM Embedded ViaVoice 4.4 features “freeform command recognition,” which uses advanced statistical language modeling and semantic interpretation to enable natural language understanding between the user and the voice recognition system. Freeform command recognition permits people to use intuitive command phrases that are not “memorized” for controlling devices, such as radio or navigational systems in automobiles or commands on handheld devices.

Read the complete Press Release