Google Research: Project Euphonia and Project Relate
Google has a research project called Project Euphonia, which is an initiative started in 2019 to improve speech recognition for individuals with non-standard speech. Project Relate is the first publicly available Android app, developed from the Project Euphonia initiative, that personalizes speech models to better understand an individual's unique speech patterns for easier communication.
Because it’s Google, there are heightened expectations. Before I make any recommendations here, I have a disclaimer: I do not have an Android phone, and this is not available for iPhones (to my knowledge). I have not tested this app out myself. I include a mention of them here because they are at the bleeding edge of technology, and we want to shine a light on anything that has the potential to serve the aphasia community. I did, however, go to the good people of Reddit (an Internet forum) for the scoop. You can review some of the comments yourself here:
r/slp: https://www.reddit.com/r/slp/comments/182c3nr/project_relate/
r/disability: https://www.reddit.com/r/disability/comments/1eqqijv/review_of_project_relate_and_voiceitt/
From the looks of it, there is still quite a bit of work to be done. However, as far as making speech recognition technology work for a wider range of people, including those with speech impairments, Google is probably going to be doing some heavy lifting. Their own AI overview (from Google’s Gemini) summarizes:
Project Relate is a Google Android app designed to help people with non-standard speech, like those with ALS, stuttering, or speech changes from injuries, be better understood. It works by using machine learning to create a personalized speech recognition model based on recordings of the user's unique speech patterns. The app offers features like "Listen" to transcribe speech in real-time, "Repeat" to restate words in a clear synthesized voice, and direct integration with the Google Assistant.
How it works
Personalized Training: Users provide a series of audio prompts by recording at least 500 phrases.
Model Creation: The app uses these recordings to generate a custom speech recognition model tailored to the individual's voice.
User Feedback: The personalized model helps the app understand the user's unique way of speaking.
Key Features
Transcribes the user's speech to text in real-time, allowing them to copy-paste into other apps or have others read what they've said.
Repeat:
Restates what has been said using a clear, computerized voice, which is useful for face-to-face conversations.
Assistant:
Allows users to interact directly with the Google Assistant.
Enhances dictation and long-form text entry accuracy in other Android apps.
Who it's for
Individuals with conditions that affect speech, such as ALS, stuttering, Down’s syndrome, or speech changes due to traumatic brain injury.
How to use it
The app is available on Android devices.
Users need to complete a set of recordings to create their personalized speech model.
Users can enhance their model's accuracy by recording additional phrases over time.
The last thing I’ll note is that Google themselves have not highlighted this as a product designed intentionally or specifically for the unique challenges faced by a person with aphasia. While I do believe there will be incredibly positive, intentional or perhaps unintentional outcomes that could benefit the aphasia community tremendously, there are many unique challenges in this space and ways to approach solving them. At Broca, our mission is to foster understanding and conversation between those with aphasia and their loved ones. With all of the new advances in technology, we have a lot to be optimistic about.