Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

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.

4 of 267 comments (clear)

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

    What was wrong with speech to text?

    --
    "With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine. However, this is not necessarily a good idea...."
    RFC 1925
    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.

      --
      -fb Everything not expressly forbidden is now mandatory.
  2. 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.

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


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

    Oy.

    --
    I want to drag this out as long as possible. Bring me my protractor.