Could you guys help me design a mobile app to help the deaf to speak on mobile phones

ok here's a functionality list for my dream auto-relay app:

1. Ability to call number and tell me whether it's ringing or busy
2. A chat window of some sort that indicates dialogue (see IM interface)
2a. It would be nice if the chat window had real-time updating so I can see each word as it appears rather than waiting for a full sentence
3. Ability to translate words/phrases in bursts so the callee isn't waiting and wondering if I am replying
4. Ability to know if callee hung up
5. Ability to hang up on call
 
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A Nihilist said:
ok here's a functionality list for my dream auto-relay app:

1. Ability to call number and tell me whether it's ringing or busy
2. A chat window of some sort that indicates dialogue (see IM interface)
2a. It would be nice if the chat window had real-time updating so I can see each word as it appears rather than waiting for a full sentence
3. Ability to translate words/phrases in bursts so the callee isn't waiting and wondering if I am replying
4. Ability to know if callee hung up
5. Ability to hang up on call
Click to expand...

This is already available in the IM and IP relay apps - and it comes with a real human translater (who can ask for repeats, spelling etc as well as notify the hearing caller that it's a relay call - and explain the time delay that is inherent to typed conversations).
 
Bottesini said:
You still didn't answer how would we know what the hearing person is saying?

It would either have to convert their voice to text, or they would need to text back, therefore making the whole thing a huge step down from just texting.
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Yes he did, their end would use text to speech, they talk, you get the text of what they said, and he's not talking about your friends, he's talking about businesses. Business generally isn't done a personal cell phone. BUT what I'm confused about is how that would actually work, because the person that's using text-speech, it's done by their cell phone, so the app on your cell is going to do the text to speech itself?

The main problem is obviously going to be the accuracy of text to speech. It's awful, way worse than autocorrect lol. My husband used to try to use it when he first got his new droid, I once got a text that said.....Sarah Porkchops if your freezing I'll be in the microwave.:laugh2:
 
ambrosia said:
Yes he did, their end would use text to speech, they talk, you get the text of what they said, and he's not talking about your friends, he's talking about businesses. Business generally isn't done a personal cell phone. BUT what I'm confused about is how that would actually work, because the person that's using text-speech, it's done by their cell phone, so the app on your cell is going to do the text to speech itself?

The main problem is obviously going to be the accuracy of text to speech. It's awful, way worse than autocorrect lol. My husband used to try to use it when he first got his new droid, I once got a text that said.....Sarah Porkchops if your freezing I'll be in the microwave.:laugh2:
Click to expand...

I am not talking about my friends either. None of them are stupid enough not to use text or video with me.

I meant I don't use any business that won't communicate in an appropriate manner for me as a deaf person.

I boycott those kind of business.
 
Anij said:
This is already available in the IM and IP relay apps
Click to expand...


Yup, I was just replying to the OP's question.

@G_Imperatore: While I appreciate your good intentions in developing an automated product I have to say unless the accuracy is 97% or higher there's no way I'll use it in the real world. If you want to really enable deaf folks focus on speech recognition technology. I don't really care about how fancy the app looks if I can't even understand what the other person's saying it's a waste of time.
 
ambrosia said:
Yes he did, their end would use text to speech, they talk, you get the text of what they said, and he's not talking about your friends, he's talking about businesses. Business generally isn't done a personal cell phone. BUT what I'm confused about is how that would actually work, because the person that's using text-speech, it's done by their cell phone, so the app on your cell is going to do the text to speech itself?

The main problem is obviously going to be the accuracy of text to speech. It's awful, way worse than autocorrect lol. My husband used to try to use it when he first got his new droid, I once got a text that said.....Sarah Porkchops if your freezing I'll be in the microwave.:laugh2:
Click to expand...

Yes ambrosia, the Text to speech is part of android and can be easilly implemented.

I can understand your points guys about the speech recognition guys but by using the cloud and post editing techniques you'd be surprised what can be achieved, don't use windows recognition as your baseline (there are some hilarious videos on the net)

The app already provides partial results in real time, A nihilist thanks for the feedback.

I know there are relay services out there guys, the whole point of this is to automate the process...
 
Speak It! is an app that will allow the phone to vocally speak a phrase of whatever the deaf person wishes to enunciate via the phone.

Dragon Dictation is an app that will allow a hearing person to speak into the phone and whatever is being will be transcribed. A word of warning though. The app like every other speech recognition program will have difficulty in understanding words that are spoken due to accents and dialects. No app on a smart phone will ever be perfect for transcribing human speech because it requires a huge chunk of memory to be able to use a database to correctly transcribe a human's voice.
 
respectyoda said:
Speak It! is an app that will allow the phone to vocally speak a phrase of whatever the deaf person wishes to enunciate via the phone.

Dragon Dictation is an app that will allow a hearing person to speak into the phone and whatever is being will be transcribed. A word of warning though. The app like every other speech recognition program will have difficulty in understanding words that are spoken due to accents and dialects. No app on a smart phone will ever be perfect for transcribing human speech because it requires a huge chunk of memory to be able to use a database to correctly transcribe a human's voice.
Click to expand...

Guys, just to be clear we don't want to dictate stuff, we want enable people to make phone calls as normally as possible. You don't need other apps to enunciate via the phone android does that for you.

Again thanks for the feedback.

Have you guys heard of software such as mobileASL, ProjectSign, Scribe4Me. Obviously the first two are only for those who employ SL?

G.
 
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G_Imperatore said:
respectyoda said:
Speak It! is an app that will allow the phone to vocally speak a phrase of whatever the deaf person wishes to enunciate via the phone.

Dragon Dictation is an app that will allow a hearing person to speak into the phone and whatever is being will be transcribed. A word of warning though. The app like every other speech recognition program will have difficulty in understanding words that are spoken due to accents and dialects. No app on a smart phone will ever be perfect for transcribing human speech because it requires a huge chunk of memory to be able to use a database to correctly transcribe a human's voice.
Click to expand...

Guys, just to be clear we don't want to dictate stuff, we want enable people to make phone calls as normally as possible. You don't need other apps to enunciate via the phone android does that for you.

Again thanks for the feedback.

Have you guys heard of software such as mobileASL, ProjectSign, Scribe4Me. Obviously the first two are only for those who employ SL?

G.
Click to expand...

If you're planning on relaying on what adroid already has in place for speech recognition, honestly stop now. The Adroid (or iphone, bb etc) speech recognition is years away from being reliable enough as a replacement for relay operators.

It's just not nearly as advanced, accurate or "good" as you seem to think it is.

Sorry.
 
Thanks for feedback, really the accuracy of the SR is part of testing, what we're talking about here is design. At the moment I am focusing on android to have a quick prototype to show during later user studies. I am not doing this for money.
 
Anij said:
Wirelessly posted (Blackberry Bold )



If you're planning on relaying on what adroid already has in place for speech recognition, honestly stop now. The Adroid (or iphone, bb etc) speech recognition is years away from being reliable enough as a replacement for relay operators.

It's just not nearly as advanced, accurate or "good" as you seem to think it is.

Sorry.
Click to expand...

What I mean by Android provides enunciation is it does Text To Speech (words translated into robotic voice) without the need for third party software.
 
G_Imperatore said:
What I mean by Android provides enunciation is it does Text To Speech (words translated into robotic voice) without the need for third party software.
Click to expand...

That's fine, but you still need voice recognition software that's significantly better than what is available. Also a hearing person will hang up seconds after hearing a synthesized voice ...so that's not going to help hoh/d/Deaf/SI people at all.
 
My input would be, maybe for now due to the inaccuracies if it was a 1 on 1 call. If u can design an deaf friendly app that can nbe used to send any form of text. Where for example a deaf is driving, use the app to speak and it turns to text and send. Handless.. that wud be cool. It of course wud need to be able to give feedback to what the deaf is saying and do a set up where it remembers and develop the vocabulary etc.
 
Thanks to all of you guys, you were very helpful and frank.

I have a question, do you feel that the introduction of ready made phrases which you could expand and modify would increase the usability of the app?
 
G_Imperatore said:
Thanks to all of you guys, you were very helpful and frank.

I have a question, do you feel that the introduction of ready made phrases which you could expand and modify would increase the usability of the app?
Click to expand...

Yes.
 
Guys, Just a note I have read that a hearing person will hang up in seconds when hearing an artificial voice. That is true, but it was already covered in the design, the app plays an introductory, prerecorded message that explains the state of things, the user will now when this is finished playing......

Cheers pals
 
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