Speech-to-Text Software?

AlleyCat

AlleyCat

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Has anyone used any kind of software for speech-to-text translation? (I'm not talking about using this for our deaf voices, but listening to and translating hearing voices like a teacher in school or co-workers in a meeting.) If so, what software do you use? And on what devices do you use it on? How well does it work for you? I have read various reports on this and it seems as if the general feeling is that the software has a long ways to go in being refined enough to be really accurate. I could see this potentially having some benefit at work (especially meetings). Feedback, anyone?
 
Thank you for the links, RD. I read the descrips and I'm not sure it's what I'm looking for. What I was envisioning was being able to bring my laptop to a meeting at work and it translates what everyone is saying into text and I could read it right on my laptop (vs. having an interpreter as a lot of our meetings are last-minute or even with enough notice, we can't get an interpreter anyway if all my regulars are booked. There is a real shortage of interpreters here these days!)

If you or anyone else has other ideas I'd be happy to hear them. Maybe speech-to-text software doesn't necessarily have to be what I'm looking for. Thanks !!
 
99% accuracy, my ass. What about people with a lisp? Accent? Incoherent speech skills? The list goes and on.

They're only saying 99% accuracy so they can't get sued. It's the same with Lysol's 99.9% claim.
 
Banjo said:
99% accuracy, my ass. What about people with a lisp? Accent? Incoherent speech skills? The list goes and on.

They're only saying 99% accuracy so they can't get sued. It's the same with Lysol's 99.9% claim.
Click to expand...

Just speak softly and carry a big schtick.
 
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Banjo said:
99% accuracy, my ass. What about people with a lisp? Accent? Incoherent speech skills? The list goes and on.

They're only saying 99% accuracy so they can't get sued. It's the same with Lysol's 99.9% claim.
Click to expand...

Actually from what I understand about this type of software, you "train" it with your voice first before using it as an app. So even if you have a lisp or accent, you still train it with that as well.
 
it may be useful later after you have "trained" the software for the many voices or sources that may be in the room. Different environments present different challenges to understand the language that is intended to be decoded and printed.

There are a few projects out that seek to do almost the same thing but in different applications. There are university funded programs that are doing some good stuff, DARPA has some challenge so as to make a "tablet" style intrepreter. No solution is perfect, but the technology is getting better so that dicitonaries and hardware can fuse to make a more coherent and useful application. I'll post some links to projects later.

Imagine a board meeting with everybody talking like robots. Not going to happen.
 
I have Dragon Naturally speaking - and have used it to write MANY university papers ... in my case I agree with the 99% accurate (once you've used it for about 3hours ... the first 3 hours it's about 90% accurate)

During the set up/install process you read paragraphs of text provided during the install... the more you read, the better the initial accuracy will be.

I was able to start writing papers /emails etc in the first hour of having Dragon Naturally speaking install.

You can create different "users" ... so if 7people want to use it, they each create a "user" and then their speech pattern is stored.

For Hoh/deaf living with non-signing house/room mates - Dragon could be very very helpful for "everyday conversation" since the hearing person could create a "user profile" and then (using a mic) just speak and have their voice converted to text on a computer/laptop/tablet pc etc screen for the Hoh/deaf person to read ... then the Hoh/deaf person can type their response on the keyboard for the hearing person to read :)
 
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Banjo said:
99% accuracy, my ass. What about people with a lisp? Accent? Incoherent speech skills? The list goes and on.

They're only saying 99% accuracy so they can't get sued. It's the same with Lysol's 99.9% claim.
Click to expand...

AlleyCat said:
Actually from what I understand about this type of software, you "train" it with your voice first before using it as an app. So even if you have a lisp or accent, you still train it with that as well.
Click to expand...

We bought Dragon Naturally Speaking and it is SO hard to "train"...At first we thought problem was that my son stutters sometimes and sometimes doesn't enunciate clearly, so then I tried training for my voice. Finally, I gave up... WAY too hard to get working right. SO frustrating!!!! :pissed:
 
That's not simple job or plug-n-play. Require lot time of your voice recognition software include install.

Not worth to spend your money on this software (voice to text).

About +8 years ago, we did try out on IBM ViaVoice and Dragon Naturally Speaking. This software gave me hard time.

My sons are hearing. Both boys are not same voice accent cause mess up with Dragon Naturally Speaking. I tried to speak on mike but Dragon Naturally Speaking can't understand my voice and not work at all. We gave up.
 
I have a dragon point and speak. Maybe not the newest, but I have to laugh at some of the stuff it prints out. Then you tell it to correct it and it does something else. I don't use it. Also the one I have can only be trained to one persons voice.
 
BTW I have the "version 10 preferred" of Dragon Naturally Speaking - it is MUCH better at accurate voice recognition than the previous versions (which I didn't like at all) and even the "basic" version 10
 
Anij said:
I have Dragon Naturally speaking - and have used it to write MANY university papers ... in my case I agree with the 99% accurate (once you've used it for about 3hours ... the first 3 hours it's about 90% accurate)

During the set up/install process you read paragraphs of text provided during the install... the more you read, the better the initial accuracy will be.

I was able to start writing papers /emails etc in the first hour of having Dragon Naturally speaking install.

You can create different "users" ... so if 7people want to use it, they each create a "user" and then their speech pattern is stored.

For Hoh/deaf living with non-signing house/room mates - Dragon could be very very helpful for "everyday conversation" since the hearing person could create a "user profile" and then (using a mic) just speak and have their voice converted to text on a computer/laptop/tablet pc etc screen for the Hoh/deaf person to read ... then the Hoh/deaf person can type their response on the keyboard for the hearing person to read :)
Click to expand...

This sounds like awesome technology! This is something I've actually been looking for for a very long time. I'm excited to present this info to my husband. :)
 
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