For people with speech impairments, it can be a challenge to get themselves understood. And even with the speech recognition tools that we currently have now, it can still be difficult for users as the engines are of course “biased” in favor of common speech patterns. Google is now working on an app called Project Relate that will help those users with conditions that impact speech communicate easily with others and with Google Assistant as well. They are opening it up to testers in English-speaking countries.
This project is a continuation and hopefully culmination of years of research from Google’s Speech and Research teams. They have collected more than a million speech samples recorded by participants and now they’re looking for actual testers that are willing to test the new app and see if it does improve how those with speech impairments can communicate with other people. Testing is open to English-speaking testers in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the U.S.
Testers will be asked to record a set of phrases which will then be used by the app to learn about your unique speech patterns and way of speaking. You will then be able to access the Project Relate features called Listen, Repeat, and Assistant. With Listen, the app can transcribe your speech to text in real-time so you can copy and paste it into other apps or actually show it on your phone to other people so they can understand what you want to say.
The Repeat feature will “restate” what you originally said using a clear, synthesized voice, whether you want to play it for another person or for your home assistant device. The Assistant feature lets you talk to your Google Assistant from within Project Relate directly so it can take care of different tasks for you through voice commands. Google said they worked with many people when creating this app, including a brand manager from the company itself, Aubrie Lie, who has muscular dystrophy.
If you are interested to test out Project Relate and you have speech impairments due to conditions like stroke, ALS, Cerebral Palsy, traumatic brain injury or Parkinson’s disease, you can sign up at g.co/ProjectRelate. They’ll get back to those who signed up in the coming months.
