Speech is a basic need. There is an incredible, and simultaneously unaddressed, need for 21st century solutions that restore communication channels for all individuals. In the US and Europe, a combined 10.4 million people suffer from speech disabilities, and 8% of all children suffer from a consistent or temporary communications disorder.
The most common type of atypical acoustic control is dysarthria, which is caused by either congenital or acquired conditions that affect the physical production of speech. Congenital causes are usually the result of complications during pregnancy (like asphyxiation to the brain) — with cerebral palsy (CP) among the most common conditions. Around the world, CP is the most common cause of disability among children, and nearly 90% of all children with CP have a temporary or permanent diagnosis of dysarthria. For older individuals, late-onset dysarthria is most commonly caused by cerebrovascular stroke, which affects 1% of all individuals and 5% of people over the age of 65, globally. Other sources include amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson’s Disease (PD), brain cancer, and traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Voiceitt is building speech recognition technology designed to understand non-standard and dysarthric speech. Our core mobile application – Talkitt - is a hands-free voice recognition app that enables face-to-face, real-time communication with friends, family, and strangers. In addition, our technology is designed for integration into smart homes, Assistive and Augmentative Communications devices, and smart speakers.
Voiceitt’s core mission is to make voice recognition technology truly accessible to everyone. Our principal aims are inclusion and independence, and we are committed to helping children and adults around the world communicate freely, spontaneously, and naturally by voice. Through a hybrid of unique statistical modelling and machine learning, Voiceitt will enable tens of millions of people to overcome communication barriers and help them connect with the world.
