Project Relate is an Android app that aims to help indviduals with atypical speech communicate. It works by using a few hundred examples of speech provided by the user, and Artificial intelligence (AI), to train personalized speech recognition algorithms that will be able to better understand the unique speech of the user.
For millions of people around the world whose speech is difficult for others to understand, face-to-face communication can be very challenging. Using voice-activated technologies can be frustrating, too. While tools like Google Home or Google Assistant can help people call someone, adjust lighting, or play a favourite song, they may not work as well for those with non-standard speech.
“Hi. My name is Yvonne. I have Relate, and I love it. It helps me most importantly communicate with my husband, because he says I don’t speak loud enough, but he won’t admit he doesn’t understand me. And it’s funny, he’s the only one that doesn’t understand me… But Relate helps, it really does, because even just joking around with my husband, I use it.”
