Project description
Teaching machines to predict words in running speech
Current automatic speech recognition (ASR) technology hinges on rich acoustic representations of words and extensive training on large corpora of recorded speech to enable recognition of speech sounds in all their variance combined with probabilistic sequencing of whole words in a language model trained on large written text corpora. In contrast, building on the FlexSR recognition of phonological building-blocks, the EU-funded MorSR project will further enable systems to reject improbable words by exploiting linguistic information about word structure, such as the systematic, language-specific processes that alter the manifestations of particular speech sounds at the boundaries between words. This will improve both ASR performance and the adaptability of systems to languages where the availability of training data is reduced.
Objective
Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) is considered to represent the most natural man-machine interface across the spectrum of technological space. Current commercial ASR systems rely on a ‘rich’ representation of an acoustic signal for words and their variants, resulting in major challenges in the deployment of ASR systems in areas where it could have substantial social impact. Our central goal is to translate research results from the ERC funded project MORPHON into a novel ASR system to remove such barriers. We have previously demonstrated that the use of a universal set of phonological features delivers an isolated word recognition system (FlexSR) with enhanced phoneme recognition accuracy. It is more robust under conditions of non-standard speech, dialect variation and can be easily adapted to new languages. These aspects are problematic for current ASR systems which rely on the probabilistic sequencing of whole words in their language model (LM) based on large written text corpora for training. Obtaining sufficient training data for a new LM is prohibitively expensive. Instead, MorSR will incorporate linguistic information about word-structure to reject improbable words. This reduces the search space and increases the probability of identifying correct words. A major outcome will be an innovative LM based on linguistic principles. Unlike existing approaches, it is based on speech data to capture crucial regularities that are lost in text corpora. Combined with FlexSR's key strengths in identifying subtle phonological contrasts, MorSR will not only enable improved predictions of word sequences in running speech, but also dramatically reduce the requirement for training data when adapting the system to a new language. MorSR's strengths include: (a) prediction of fine-grained possibilities of word sequences based on grammatical principles; (b) requiring considerably less training data; (c) easily adaptable to new languages; and (d) will be fast, secure and accurate.
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
ERC-POC - Proof of Concept Grant
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2018-PoC
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
OX1 2JD Oxford
United Kingdom
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