Xref: utzoo comp.sys.mac:25572 comp.cog-eng:928 sci.lang:4024 Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!ncrlnk!ncrcae!hubcap!gatech!cwjcc!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!klaatu.rutgers.edu!josh From: josh@klaatu.rutgers.edu (J Storrs Hall) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac,comp.cog-eng,sci.lang Subject: Re: Why are there no Speech Recognition products for the Mac?? Keywords: Voice Recognition, Voice Synthesis, Speech, Voice Response Message-ID: Date: 25 Jan 89 18:28:51 GMT References: <2972@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu> <1029@ditsyda.oz> <434@eutrc3.UUCP> <927@quintus.UUCP> <1444@trantor.harris-atd.com> <939@quintus.UUCP> Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J. Lines: 28 >> The horrors of multi-person offices are too numerous to mention. Not >>to mention shouting "rm *" into a room crowded with voice recognition >>terminals. > >The microphones could be insensitive ones (that don't pick up anything >more than a foot away, and clipped on your lapel, or one of those boom >arrangements that telephone operators use. No problem. Given that speaker-independent VR is harder than -dependent, I would assume that a one-user voice profile would be common, for reasons both of security and increased accuracy. As a matter of fact, telephone operators work in conditions much more crowded than professional programmers (roughly equivalent to the typical student terminal room). They use voice input devices, i.e. their telephone headsets. Chances are the earphones help in terms of their not distracting one another, but the microphones are unshielded--there are no partitions between stations-- and crosstalk seems to be no problem at all. Modern operator headsets are quite improved over those of even 20 years ago, by the way. They are not particularly onerous to wear for fairly extended periods of time. One could imagine a headset connected to one's workstation that provided one's favorite music as a background to whatever interface was appropriate. --JoSH