Multimedia Gallery
Custom, digital voices for people unable to speak -- VocaliD
More than 10 million people worldwide are unable to speak and more than 500 million devices and applications are voice-narrated. All of them choose from the same few generic, mechanical voices, according to VocaliD, a small business funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
VocaliD creates custom digital voices by taking a tiny sample of someone’s voice--like sustained "awe"--and blending it with a speaker who is about the same age and size with the same linguistic background. Rupal Patel, CEO and founder of VocaliD, says that they merge the samples of speech together and create a unique voice that sounds more like the person's voice.
VocaliD is supported by NSF's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)/Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program, a nearly $190 million program that awards research and development grants to small businesses and startups, transforming scientific discovery into products and services with commercial and societal impact. To learn more visit: https://www.vocalid.co/.
Credit: NSF
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