Just think it and have a voice speak it out

December 14, 2007 3:27 pm

This is almost like having a built-in one-way interpreter!  I was unaware there was research on this different approach until I saw this article which raised my eyebrows an inch or two.

A "locked-in" man speaks.

This is an interesting technological twist for the Deaf to possibly consider in the future.

Imagine having something embedded inside you that can monitor your neutral signals.  When you try to imagine the words of a sentence, the device will detect what you are thinking and have a voice synthesizer start to voice out loud what you are thinking!

Oral-centric therapy will instantly become obsolete and the Deaf can skip all those years of frustrating and fruitless oral sessions.  The Deaf will actually be able to talk vocally without moving their lips. If some usage of Sign Languages were thrown into the mix, this could be a good exposure to hearing people when they see us moving our hands but are able to hear us.  Would the overall attitudes toward sign language improve? 

I know that the grammatical structure of ASL and spoken English are distinct from each other, so this would be Sim-Com at best and not true ASL.  Instead of having hearing people freak out when they see no lip movement, they at least see some hand movement. This next technological step wouldn’t seem so odd at first.

Before I would even consider using something such as this, I would demand an easy to use "off" switch so I don’t go around vocally broadcasting whatever is on my mind, especially when I’m in an annoying situation! :-)  Still, I think it would take a extreme strong discipline on one’s part even for a few seconds to focus on what you really want to be vocally synthesized out loud and not carelessly spilling your other private thoughts to others.

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  • DT
    Woe be to anyone within hearing distance of me should I forget the OFF swirch! Lol!
  • Jared Evans
    I don't think it really matters if you know what a letter sounds like beforehand. This device seems to be able to map a letter to the neutral signal that you create when you think of of a letter.

    It seems like you will have to go through a mapping session with the machine so that it can reliable detect the correct neutral signals for the letters and words. I suspect that these signals may differ from one person to other.
  • Anon
    Well, in order for the deaf to use this effectively, and as you say, jettison all of the years of oral therapy, one would need to know how sounds are made in the first place. I would assume that the majority of ASL users can't even vocalize, even in their heads, unless they know phonics, so it's basically useless for most of you...

    Wishful thinking on your part, perhaps, but it may help to RTFA.
  • J.J. Puorro
    I agree...if they know what I am thinking..no thanks..but if I could control it..that'd be friggin' awesome...
  • Oh, it's not for me. I don't want them to KNOW what I am thinking...;)
  • Yeah, I remember seeing something about that a couple of years ago. Like you, I would use it only if I could control what's being spoken out loud. *grins* I would get murdered if people REALLY knew what I was thinking!
  • Mishkazena
    This would be an effective communication tool for deaf people unable to use their hands and arms due to a disability or a disease.
  • Too "Minority Report" for me :)
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