A program for them. Chinese students created a supplement for studying with deaf people. An addition that helps a little
Such simple actions, such as rozmova on the phone, descent through gatherings, or the meaning of the given term for the presence of milk, can become difficult for people with limited abilities. For these problems, you can successfully seek help from your smartphone.
We imagine the expansion of mobile apps to make life easier for people with limited abilities.
Add-ons that recognize language
"Yandex.Conversation"
Recently, the Yandex company released an add-on that helps deaf and hearing-impaired people communicate with known and unknown people, thereby translating speech into text and back.
In addition to hearing and recognizing language, everything that is said to you is displayed on the smartphone screen in the form of text, and you can also hear spoken words in your voice.
The application was invented and developed by a group of MPT students and is based on Yandex SpeechKit language recognition technology.
RogerVoice
RogerVoice is an add-on that helps deaf people communicate with their peers over the phone. Vikorist uses language recognition technology to convert voice into text, so deaf people can read what the speaker says to them.
The boss showed up successful Kickstarter campaign - A beta version of the add-on is currently available and can be downloaded on the RogerVoice website.
An addition that helps a little
HearYouNow
With this additional program, hearing aids can adjust the sound level depending on the situation in which the sound occurs - in a large area, in a mouth, etc. For this purpose, headphones are connected to the smartphone, through which sound is supplied with appropriate settings to optimize the background and foreground.
The addition of ExSilent, a Dutch manufacturer of hearing aids, is available for people who can use hearing aids but are not yet ready for that.
Two students from Beijing Beihai University donated money to help deaf people in China. The addition removed the name Shouyin, which literally means “voice of hands.” It allows you to translate the language signs of deaf and deaf people into language in real time.
The add-on works seamlessly with a smart bracelet and can currently recognize more than 200 characters, each sign being recorded a thousand times by different people to promote the accuracy of the translation. Every hundred times recognition becomes 95%.
Yuna Nana Wang, who is one of the detectives, discovered that her deaf and deaf friend had breathed, so she could only get in touch through notifications on her mobile phone. In China, approximately 5% of the population and 70 million people are deaf. Without a doubt, the addition will result in great success. The official exit added to the plans for the end of the season. In other parts of the world, similar programs are already underway. For example, Uni via MotionSavvy and translation of the language of deaf and deaf people via Google Chats.
Technologies today are developing at a rapid pace, including in the social spheres and in medicine. The stench helps not only to cope with various kinds of ailments, but also, more importantly, to understand your neighbor, who will help you understand the world. A special addition will help you talk with deaf people, while VR technologies can help, for example, with mild autism, and therefore bring you closer to those who suffer from such illness.
A number of studies have shown that more than 99% of people are aware of autism, while only 16% are aware of it, which means they are mentally ill. And according to the results of a study conducted in the UK, more than 25% of people who suffer from autism have ever asked to drink from such public places as a restaurant or a store, if they had symptoms of their illness.
To address this problem of misinformation, the British National Autistic Society decided to create VR film, Which would help all people to know what it’s like to live with a similar diagnosis. Gmbox writing about this.
This virtual video will take you into the body of a young boy who suffers from autism, and show the light of his eyes. In the film, you walk into a shopping center and experience the same great sensory attraction that you experience when you walk through such a crowded place. The noise, the large number of different objects, chats, the movement of people, their voices - everything makes the boy panic, which makes it difficult for him to break in.
Another pharmaceutical company that treats Alzheimer's disease has also released a VR film that allows you to step into the shoes of a person suffering from dementia. The film “A Walk Through Dementia” will allow you to understand how simple everyday actions like making a cup of tea can become a real problem for those with this disease.
I'm flying!
“Bread gives life to the body, and a book gives life to the mind”...
Books are one of the most valuable treasures of a modern person. Books appeared in ancient times and cost very dearly (one book could be traded for a herd of cows!). In the current world - books are available to everyone! By reading them, we become more literate, our horizons and intelligence develop. That's why we haven't yet come up with more complete knowledge for transferring one to another!
With the development of computer technologies (especially in the last 10 years), it has become possible not only to read books, but to hear them (i.e., you will have a special program to read them, in a man’s or woman’s voice). I would like to tell you about software tools for voiceover.
Possible recording problems
First, let’s go to the list of programs, I would like to look at the broader problem and look at the problems when the program cannot read the text.
On the right there are voice engines, they can be of different standards: SAPI 4, SAPI 5 or Microsoft Speech Platform (mostly programs for creating text and selecting tools). So, it is logical that in addition to programs for reading with a voice, an engine is required (in any case, in what kind of voice you will read, in what voice: man or woman, etc.).
movni engines
The engines can be cost-free or commercial (of course, commercial engines provide better sound quality).
SAPI 4. Outdated versions of tools. For current PCs, it is not recommended to use older versions. It’s better to be amazed at SAPI 5 or Microsoft Speech Platform.
SAPI 5. Current mobile engines, both free and paid. On the Internet you can find dozens of native SAPI 5 engines (with a female voice and a human voice).
One of the most powerful programs for voicing text. Allows your PC to read not only simple files in txt format, but also news, RSS, web pages on the Internet, email, etc.
In addition, it allows you to convert the text into an mp3 file (which you can then transfer to any phone or mp3 player or mobile phone, for example). Then you can create audio books yourself!
The voices of the IVONA programs are very similar to the real ones, it’s good to use Vimova, so they don’t stammer. Before speaking, the program may be useful for those who learn foreign language. You can always hear the correct expression of these and other words and phrases.
Supports SAPI5, plus it cooperates so well with external add-ons (for example, Apple iTunes, Skype).
Example (record of one of my recent articles)
On the downside: he reads some unknown words with the wrong voice and intonation. In general, it’s a good idea to listen, for example, to a paragraph from a history book while you’re going to a lecture/class, or whatever!
Talalaika
Administrative program for working with books: reading, cataloging, searching for needs. A range of standard documents that can be read by other programs (TXT-HTML, HTML-TXT, TXT-DOC, DOC-TXT, PDB-TXT, LIT-TXT, FB2-TXT, etc.) ICE Book Reader supports file formats : .LIT, .CHM i.ePub.
In addition, ICE Book Reader allows you not only to read, but also a stand-alone desktop library:
- allows you to save, collect, catalog books (up to 250,000 thousand examples!);
- automatic ordering of your collection;
- a quick search for a book from your “name” (especially relevant since you don’t catalog much literature);
- The ICE Book Reader database core is superior to most programs of its kind.
The program also allows you to read texts using your voice.
To do this, you need to go to the program settings and set up two tabs: “Mode” (select voice reading) and “Movie synthesis mode” (select the movie engine itself).
Talker
With the help of Sakrament Talker, you can turn your computer into a “talking” audio book! The Sakrament Talker program supports RTF and TXT formats, it can automatically recognize the encoding of a file (as noted, some programs open a file with a “cracked screen” instead of text, so the axis in Sakrament Talker is so impossible!).
In addition, Sakrament Talker allows you to create large files, which can easily find other files. You can not only listen to the voiceover text on your computer, but also save it in an mp3 file (which can then be copied to any player or phone and listened to on your PC).
In general, the program is not bad, as it supports all the popular voice engines.
That's all for today. It doesn’t matter that today’s programs cannot (100% clearly) read the text in such a way that a person cannot tell who is reading: the program or the person... But I respect how far the program goes: The complexity of computers is growing, engines are growing in use (including all new and new innovations) - which means that soon the sound from programs will not be disrupted by most people?! st
The main problem with such supplements is that their niche is not sufficiently addressed. While I was busy searching, I looked at more than 30 supplements, and almost all of them were aimed at an English audience of people living in Europe or the USA. However, six additional additions, as presented below, became a problem and, I believe, may be of benefit to someone.
Miracle Modus
Miracle Modus is a supplement created by an autistic child. Judging by its words and reviews on the Play Market, the add-on works effectively. The operating principle is simple and straightforward: Miracle Modus paints different lines and patterns and creates relaxing sounds that have a calming effect on people with autism.
Diabetes Log Book
An addition that helps people who suffer from diabetes of the first or second stage. Here you can enter all the information about the hedgehog you encountered during the day. The new call can then be exported to Excel to show your doctor.
Migraine Buddy
Allows people who suffer from migraines to analyze their way of living and thinking about what factors lead to headaches. Additionally, you can monitor your sleep so that you understand the correlation between migraines and rough sleep.
Bumps
Bumps helps blind people learn braille. The supplement encourages English language, so it is suitable for those who want to learn to read more than just Russian. In addition to the alphabet, you can enter different words in Bumps and marvel at how they are written in Braille.
For Android there is a similar add-on - Braile Guide.
Spread Signs
Spread Signs has a large library of gestures that help deaf people speak. The supplementary database contains more than a dozen languages, including Russian, Ukrainian and English. You can read both the gestures that signify both letters and words.
idea
Vitannya! My name is Vitaliy, I am a developer and founder of a startup BeWarned. Since childhood, I have very weak hearing, and my team can’t hear at all, I’ve been wanting for a long time to start developing add-ons and software for the deaf and the weak. I know all the problems associated with stinks.
Me and my friend Natalya
Previously, I was involved in the development of software for civil airlines of Ukraine, creating an additional augmented reality SIMO. I have always loved everything that has to do with technology. And a couple of times ago, I got to know Sergiy Malyukov, our CEO, through a deposit from the Kiev Polytechnic Institute, where I started.
The idea of creating programs for deaf and hearing impaired people came to Sergius in 2013. As if he was walking along the street in the evening, and a car started honking in the back, Sergiy Shvidko jumped out and killed, but the couple who were walking along the line did not ruin the place. He shouted to them so that the stinks would leave, otherwise they would disappear in the same place where they were standing. Nezabar Sergei realized that there was a couple of deaf people, the stinks were clinging to each other in the language of gestures. Sergius will learn that there are additions that will help you recognize unsafe sounds. Having analyzed various programs and gadgets for deaf people and not knowing a solution to help recognize unsafe sounds, we set ourselves the task of developing such an addition. In the process of work, a number of partners have previously been added and now BeWarned to be a self-investment of the startup’s creators.
As soon as I got a feeling about the project and got better at it, I immediately became obsessed with the idea and quickly became a co-worker. Currently I am involved in technical development for a startup.
Implementation
In 2014, the first prototype of the BeWarned add-on with the Sound Monitor function was released, which made it possible to recognize dangerous sounds in real time. This was the first small success. Ale tse buv tіlki cob.
Since I was a child, I was drawn to technology, often collecting or sorting out something, I wanted to wonder what would come out of it
Through hundreds of pages and books, it became clear that deaf people needed more help in recognizing unsafe sounds. The deaf had a thousand unknown foods that they could choose from. Based on these sheets and videos, the BeWarned platform was created, which combined 4 technical assistants for the deaf: Sound Monitor, Connect, Emergency Call and Dance.
Sound Monitor addresses security issues, especially unsafe sounds (screaming, car horn, dog barking, siren). In times of insecurity, the addition is preceded by vibration and momentary sleep on the smartphone. Connect helps strangers communicate with strangers - it converts text into language and so on. Dance allows you to listen to music tracks and convert them into vibration, light signals and visual equalizer pulsation. Emergency Call helps you call your loved ones for help if you are in an unsafe situation.
You can find out more videos on our channel
During the summer of 2016, we conducted beta testing of the platform in the USA. As a result, 88.9% of clients said that they would recommend the supplement to friends.
The most complex part of the development of BeWarned is the Sound Monitor, which we spent a lot of money on developing. The program for recognizing dangerous sounds is based on neural measurements. We tried two types of neural networks: the classic rich-ball perceptron and the convolutional neural network. Then we decided to try the adopted Markov model; it was the best for our purposes.
In order to create a database on which the algorithm would be based, we ourselves recorded numerous variations of one type of unsafe sound, for example, in a car, on the basis of which the algorithm would recognize sounds and identify them as related to the sound. However, during the course of our work, we encountered a problem that appears to be that the recognition algorithm classifies all sounds into only one category: a car horn, a scream, the sound of a police siren, and a dog bark. For example, if you laughed, the program recognized how to enter into each of these categories. To solve this problem, we had to segment sounds, for example, by frequencies and other characteristics. What made it possible to introduce into the pouch an additional, insignificant type of sound.
About an hour after the release of the BeWarned platform, we made important changes to improve usability: we radically simplified everything and adapted it to accommodate deaf people. To that end, let us re-let the program okremo.
We have BW Dance (Android, iOS), which, thanks to the functions of the BeWarned platform, has turned into an independent supplement. BW Dance allows people who don’t smell it and smell it badly to dance to their favorite song. The user adds his favorite songs to the playlist, and in addition transforms the music into vibration, songs and animation on the screen. Players can also listen to music with the help of a visual programmer. BW Dance has been positively received by the Koristuvachs both in Ukraine and abroad.
After which we released Connect by Bewarned (Android, iOS), an add-on that allows deaf and hearing-impaired people to sense their senses. In order to start communicating with one or more people in addition, you just need to press the START button and tell the date to the spyware, after which the addendum will be translated into a text message that a deaf person can read. The addition also transforms the text into language, deaf people need to write what they want to say. In addition, we have developed a set of templates that model simple, frequently repeated situations, for example, catching water in a pot. With the help of these patterns of non-sense people, you can quickly tell what they sense. We also conveyed the possibility of creating additional templates for the personal purposes of a person’s skin.
results
In Ukraine, journalists began to actively write to us, STB, 1 + 1, Channel 5 and others heard stories about us. We realized that people can’t smell it, and we also decided that the talk about simplicity and usability was in the right direction. We realized that we were on the right path.
My team and I are talking to journalists from Channel 5
We launched Connect by Bewarned on Product Hunt on the 30th day and entered the TOP-5 of the day, and were also included in the official distribution list. In the comments to our product on Product Hunt, we removed proposals for assistance in developing localization in French and Farsi. Together with already many localizations - Spanish, Russian, Ukrainian, and English, we can get closer to our global goal: making life easier for indifferent people.
I believe that IT specialists are guilty of violating their data for the benefit of other people. Our small but successful evidence shows that new additions can truly change the lives of other people. Therefore, we are going to continue to work on the idea introduced into Connect by Bewarned: the formation of barriers in a group of strange people who hear about 400 million of them.
BeWarned team from left to right: I, Evgen, Evgeniya, Ivan, Julia, Sergiy, Andriy, Ilona, Ira, Anton, Andriy (there are even more of us, below in this photo :))
People like me often get into trouble when they need to relate to people: a policeman, a doctor, a banker. By law, we are guaranteed equal rights and access to services on an equal basis. But in reality, our capabilities are completely limited. Therefore, we decided to take on an active global task: creating a world-class electronic infrastructure to make it easier for strangers to access all services and services that are accessible to people: banks, hospitals, taxis, etc. d. For now, we are working on our own tasks.