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Stephen Hawking’s speech computer brought computer-generated voices to global attention; this article describes a system that goes further by showing a lifelike on-screen version of the person speaking in their own voice. A wheelchair-mounted setup uses two displays: a control screen in front and a second screen above the chair that shows the speaking avatar with natural expressions, tone, and inflection.
The software is trained on each person’s personality and experiences, including prior messages and chats, so suggestions align with how they communicate. During conversation, a microphone listens for context and the system presents three possible replies that can be chosen using only eye movement; the selected response is spoken in about three seconds, compared with the minutes older setups could require.
The project—called VoXAI from the Scott–Morgan Foundation—was designed entirely via eye-tracking by chief technologist Bernard Muller, who communicates using assistive access because of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The team combined tools for a realistic digital face and a voice that sounds like the person, running on high-performance computer chips to synchronize facial movement and speech.
The article situates the impact at scale: more than 100 million People with Disabilities worldwide experience serious speech limitations linked to conditions such as motor neurone disease (MND), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, and stroke, yet many still lack communication devices because of cost and availability barriers. The software will be free, and the foundation is seeking a hardware partner to bring the dual-screen wheelchair prototype to People with Disabilities who use speech-generating technology.
Read the Full Article: Stephen Hawking's computer gets a glow up: AI–powered AVATAR creates new possibilities for people with severe disabilities.
By: Jim Norton
