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Cell Phones for the Deaf

Posted by michael on from the paintings-for-the-blind dept.

nitzan writes "Quoting from the article: 'the software translates the voice on the other side of the line into a three dimensional animated face on the computer, whose lips move in real time synch with the voice allowing the receiver to lip read.' Unfortunately this only works with laptops, but a pda version is in the works." The company website has a demonstration.

6 of 267 comments (clear)

  1. Technology overkill by tyler_larson · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What was wrong with speech to text?

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    1. Re:Technology overkill by fishbowl · · Score: 5, Insightful


      "2. software interprets phonetics converts it into words"

      Is a very different, much more complex problem than:

      "2. software interprets phonetics into picture based lip movements"

      Consider that for the first example, we need the computer to understand the language,
      whereas in the second example, all the computer needs is a fourier transform and
      Max Headroom anatomy.

      Personally, I think it would be simpler and more effective to put a
      camera on the phone and transmit an image of the speakers face.

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  2. Complicated by batboy78 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This just seems complicated, why can't they just improve the speech to text capability. It seems like drawing a face with life-like facial movements to enable lip reading is a little beyond the scope of power for a PDA.

  3. Speaking from experience by FunkyELF · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I lived with a deaf room-mate last year. It took me about 2 months for me to understand what he was saying, and took him about the same to get used to my lips. Anytime he meets someone new, its very hard for him to read their lips (i.e. every time a new telemarketer tries to prey on the deaf user). Also, its not just the lips, its the tounge also. It'd probably be easier to use speach-> text software than this stuff....and what about background noise? I doubt this thing works well if not at all.

  4. WHy should they. by Unknown+Poltroon · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I still cnat get coverage, or hear the other person clearly, why should the deaf be different? But i can ply 3 different games and send a fucking picture of a duck. Stupid phone companies. Its a fucking phone!! First, fix it so i can hear someone, THEN gimme the damn bowling games.

    OK, this might be a troll. Im not sure myself. Its definately a vent. Fucking sprint. Oh well.

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  5. Re:Oh, great... by sczimme · · Score: 5, Insightful


    Yes, because the deaf person is bound to have the ringer turned way up...

    Oy.

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