The first steps of the project consisted on defining the use cases. The objective of this task was to define real scenarios where the technology developed could be used. At the same time the unitary goal tests were described. Afterwards, the API of the technology has been defined.
The Pay-me attention architecture has been designed, resulting on a block diagram with the description of the connections between the project modules, as well as the inputs and outputs of each module.
We started with WP2 designing the speech enhancement module. Then, we worked on the speech diarization module. For the speech biometrics module we worked on identifying a voice segment with respect to a database of biometric vocal traces.
For the speech recognition module, a voice-to-text conversion system has been designed and implemented. The main objective of this task was to be able to provide input to the attention detection module. However, in the design, it has been very important to be able to export all the information generated by the recognition to the other modules, so that their outputs are fed back and improved. As an output of this work, we have a functional CSR showed in a demo delivered at M12. Finally, for the Speech analytics module we have been working in the module located hierarchically in the upper part of the processing of the directed attention system.
Dureing the second reporting period we have been working on a prototype for the meeting room use case, even if the different modules developed were also initially tested and evaluated for the robot use case. To evaluate the whole system, perceptual evaluation of the Meeting Assistant is being done, analysing meeting sessions in Verbio’s facilities intended as a real working environment. Moreover, we have also tested the prototype working with audio from beta testers (Softbank and AISoy) based on the meeting room assistant prototype, to detect usability problems and also evaluating any possible shortcomings of the proposed prototype.
In view of all the results of the evaluation (tasks functionalities, global evaluation, and beta tester evaluations) some modifications have been proposed to make the prototype work towards reliability, usability and optimization. These modifications are aimed to be developed along the next stage of the project in order to obtain a fully functional project, to be implemented by a client. Agreements with Softbank and Intel, who recently showed his interest in PAY-ME-ATTENTION outputs, are the boosters of this next stage.
The PAY-ME-ATTENTION project has been a success from the point of view of Verbio. Not only has it allowed and implied the integration of existing technologies, as well as their development from a slightly different approach than usual in the company, but it has endowed us with knowledge and technology that we had not developed so far. It has allowed us to work in different environments (meeting room, robot) and increase the technological capacity of the company.
Moreover, the final prototype has been successful and functional, and will allow Verbio to develop future projects both with actual partners/customers, as potential and future ones.
All planned communication and dissemination actions during the project lifetime have been correctly developed. Furthermore, KPIs defined in order to measure the effectiveness of the dissemination tools have been accomplished.
As a Business model we have analysed the financial impact of the project as a meeting room assistant. The idea is to start the launching of our software in the market with the collaboration with different clients that Verbio has nowadays like Softbank or Intel, who are interested in our new technology and want to bet for the implantation of our meeting room assistant in all the offices and meeting room of their companies. The next goal is to increase our number of clients over the next years. We have calculated to reach over 50 clients or more in the first five
