Sensory's mega-cool TrulyHandsfree voice control 3.0

As you may recall, the folks at Sensory Inc. will be presenting a paper titled Yes, We CAN Hear You Now! The Rise of Embedded Speech at the forthcoming DESIGN West Conference and Exhibition.

Speech recognition and voice control technology has exploded recently with some amazing capabilities, such as the ability to recognize keywords being spoken in a crowded party with humongous amounts of background noise. And this technology has moved beyond the detection of words and phrases – it's now possible to identify the person who is doing the speaking, which has all sorts of implications with regard to biometric security applications.

And keeping the ball rolling, the guys and gals at Sensory have just announced the release of TrulyHandsfree Voice Control 3.0. This latest version provides the ability for end users to create their own custom voice triggers and biometric passphrases that identify who they are and unlock features, permit access, or call up customized settings. A brief history of TrulyHandsfree technology is as follows:

• TrulyHandsfree 1.0 introduced single voice trigger technology, used for initial "no buttons required" voice activation of a device.
• TrulyHandsfree 2.0 introduced higher accuracy triggers with multiple phrase/trigger technology that recognizes, analyzes and responds to dozens of keywords, enabling a voice user interface that is more natural and intuitive, even from a distance or in the presence of noise.
• TrulyHandsfree 3.0 adds a host of new features, including the ability for end users of products to create their own custom triggers, and custom biometric passphrases to unlock or access their devices without any touching required and with high security without inconveniencing the user.

The folks at Sensory say that their TrulyHandsfree trigger technology has quickly become the most widely adopted keyword spotting technology in the speech industry. Over 100 million products utilizing Sensory's TrulyHandsfree voice triggers have shipped over the past several years from manufacturers such as BlueAnt, Hallmark, Kensington, Mattel, Motorola, Pantech, and Samsung. The TrulyHandsfree trigger is a low power, high accuracy, wake-up word technology that listens for a special "wake-up" phrase, yet ignores all other conversations. These noise robust keywords can be combined into a single command and control set to enable unprecedented levels of accuracy without false firing on unintended phrases.

TrulyHandsfree 3.0 with Trigger-to-Search capabilities
Much like the "Computer" phrase in StarTrek, the wake-up word can be immediately followed by command phrases such as "Computer, how many parsecs to the Klingon spaceship?" Sensory has crafted a special module for Android devices (modifying the Android firmware) that captures audio and can enable a manufacturer to call the Google voice search engine in a seamless fashion and with no delay between the TrulyHandsfree trigger and the Google voice search query. This takes the TrulyHandsfree approach to a new level of interactions without the need for call and response dialogs.

Ultra-low-power handsfree experience through deeply embedded implementations
Sensory is porting its TrulyHandsfree Voice Control to leading IP DSP platforms and many of the low power processors found in the consumer electronics and mobile ecosystem. Current implementations are estimated to be as low as 2 mA including microphone and preamp, and give leading OEMs the option for ultra-low power always listening devices.

Speaker verification passphrases – preconfigured or customized by the user!
TrulyHandsfree 3.0 introduces the ability for an end user to create their own personalized wake-up words that respond only to their voice and enables the device to know who the user is. A simple enrollment process implemented on the device allows the user to define their own phrase specific to their own voice – a "voiceprint" or "passphrase." This ability can unlock the device without the need to touch the device. The software can support multiple users with different passphrases, and can be used to call up appropriate settings, memory, and data associated with each specific user of a shared device.

The following video demonstrates all of the TrulyHandsfree 3.0 features:

 
"Over the past several years end users became accustomed to speech controlled devices and demanded the ability to voice control products without having to touch the device. TrulyHandsfree Voice Control met these needs. Now consumers are saying they want the ability to customize their own wake-up words and they want the products to know who they are by their voice as well as remember their settings and not let others into their histories and data... TrulyHandsfree 3.0 addresses this new consumer demand!" said Todd Mozer, CEO of Sensory, Inc.

"Sensory pioneered the concept of removing the need to touch mobile devices through its TrulyHandsfree Voice Control. TrulyHandsfree 3.0 advances the mobile state of the art by introducing a host of new features and capabilities in the area of hands-free voice activation, control, and biometrics," noted Dr. William Meisel, Chair, Mobile Voice Conference, and author of The Software Society.

For more information, please visit www.sensoryinc.com
 

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