IIT Guwahati Researchers develop contactless voice recognition sensor for individuals with voice disabilities
underwater vibration sensor
that enables automated and contactless voice recognition.
It is indicated that this technology could offer an alternative communication method for individuals with voice disabilities who are unable to use conventional voice-based systems.
The research findings have been published in Advanced Functional Materials, co-authored by Prof. Uttam Manna (Department of Chemistry), research scholars Debasmita Sarkar, Rajan Singh, Anirban Phukan, Priyam Mondal, and Prof. Roy P. Paily (Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering) at IIT Guwahati, along with Prof. Xiaoguang Wang and Ufuoma I. Kara from The Ohio State University.
According to the team, voice recognition technologies are widely used in smart devices today, yet they remain inaccessible to people with voice disorders. Recent studies suggest a considerable percentage of children and young adults between the ages of 3 and 21 experience some form of voice disability, highlighting the need for more
inclusive communication tools
. To address this gap, the researchers focused on the air expelled through the mouth during attempted speech.
It is stated that even when sound is not produced, this exhaled air can disturb a water surface, creating subtle waves. The team's sensor, positioned just below the air-water interface, detects these minute vibrations and translates them into electrical signals.
The sensor is made from a conductive, chemically reactive porous sponge and uses
Convolutional Neural Networks
(CNNs) to interpret the signal patterns.
This AI-powered system allows for the recognition of attempted speech without sound, enabling hands-free communication with devices. It is noted that the prototype developed in the lab costs approximately ₹3,000, with ongoing research aimed at reducing costs through potential industry collaboration.
According to the researchers, the device has shown durability in extended underwater use and could have broader applications, including in exercise tracking, movement detection, and underwater sensing.
As a next step, the team intends to pursue clinical validation and expand their dataset by collecting samples from individuals with voice disabilities. This is expected to help refine the model to recognise specific words or phrases necessary for operating smart devices.
Speaking about the developed sensor, Prof. Uttam Manna, Department of Chemistry, IIT Guwahati, said, 'It is one of the rare designs of material allowing to recognize voice based on monitoring the water wave formed at air/water interface because of exhaling air from mouth.
This approach is likely to provide a viable solution for communication with those individuals with partially or entirely damaged vocal cords.'
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Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
IIT Guwahati Researchers develop contactless voice recognition sensor for individuals with voice disabilities
Guwahati: Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, in collaboration with Ohio State University, USA, have developed an underwater vibration sensor that enables automated and contactless voice recognition. It is indicated that this technology could offer an alternative communication method for individuals with voice disabilities who are unable to use conventional voice-based systems. The research findings have been published in Advanced Functional Materials, co-authored by Prof. Uttam Manna (Department of Chemistry), research scholars Debasmita Sarkar, Rajan Singh, Anirban Phukan, Priyam Mondal, and Prof. Roy P. Paily (Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering) at IIT Guwahati, along with Prof. Xiaoguang Wang and Ufuoma I. Kara from The Ohio State University. According to the team, voice recognition technologies are widely used in smart devices today, yet they remain inaccessible to people with voice disorders. Recent studies suggest a considerable percentage of children and young adults between the ages of 3 and 21 experience some form of voice disability, highlighting the need for more inclusive communication tools . To address this gap, the researchers focused on the air expelled through the mouth during attempted speech. It is stated that even when sound is not produced, this exhaled air can disturb a water surface, creating subtle waves. The team's sensor, positioned just below the air-water interface, detects these minute vibrations and translates them into electrical signals. The sensor is made from a conductive, chemically reactive porous sponge and uses Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) to interpret the signal patterns. This AI-powered system allows for the recognition of attempted speech without sound, enabling hands-free communication with devices. It is noted that the prototype developed in the lab costs approximately ₹3,000, with ongoing research aimed at reducing costs through potential industry collaboration. According to the researchers, the device has shown durability in extended underwater use and could have broader applications, including in exercise tracking, movement detection, and underwater sensing. As a next step, the team intends to pursue clinical validation and expand their dataset by collecting samples from individuals with voice disabilities. This is expected to help refine the model to recognise specific words or phrases necessary for operating smart devices. Speaking about the developed sensor, Prof. Uttam Manna, Department of Chemistry, IIT Guwahati, said, 'It is one of the rare designs of material allowing to recognize voice based on monitoring the water wave formed at air/water interface because of exhaling air from mouth. This approach is likely to provide a viable solution for communication with those individuals with partially or entirely damaged vocal cords.'
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Breath becomes voice as IIT-G's tech promises sound to silence
Guwahati: In a world where voice commands power everything from smartphones to smart homes, millions with voice disabilities remain unheard. But a ground-breaking innovation from IIT Guwahati, in collaboration with Ohio State University, is changing that — ushering in a future where silence speaks volumes. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This innovation is more than a technological breakthrough — it's a step toward a more inclusive future. By turning silent airflows into meaningful communication, the researchers have given voice to the voiceless and opened new doors for human-machine interaction. Addressing this gap, the researchers have found a remarkable solution. By focusing on a fundamental physiological function — the exhaled breath during speech — they discovered that even in the absence of sound, airflow from the lungs creates subtle ripples when passed over a water surface. These ripples, though silent, carry the essence of speech. Harnessing this insight, the team developed an underwater vibration sensor capable of detecting these delicate waves and translating them into speech signals — without relying on audible voice. This innovation opens a new frontier in voice recognition, where silence itself becomes a medium of expression, offering a promising alternative for individuals who cannot use conventional voice-based systems due to damaged or impaired vocal cords. Speaking about the developed sensor, prof Uttam Manna of department of chemistry at IIT Guwahati, said, "It is one of the rare designs of material allowing to recognize voice based on monitoring the water wave formed at air/water interface because of exhaling air from mouth. This approach is likely to provide a viable solution for communication with those individuals with partially or entirely damaged vocal cords. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now " The IIT Guwahati statement said studies reveal that a significant number of children and young adults between the ages of 3 and 21 experience some form of voice disability, highlighting an urgent need for more inclusive communication technologies. The developed sensor is made from a conductive, chemically reactive porous sponge. When placed just below the air-water interface, it captures the tiny disturbances created by exhaled air and converts them into measurable electrical signals. The research team used Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), a type of deep learning model, to accurately recognise these subtle signal patterns. This setup allows users to communicate with devices from a distance, without the need to generate sound. The research was co-authored by prof Manna and his team — Debasmita Sarkar, Rajan Singh, Anirban Phukan, Priyam Mondal, and prof Roy P Paily from the Dept of Electronics and Electrical Engineering at IIT Guwahati. From Ohio State University, prof Xiaoguang Wang and Ufuoma I Kara contributed to the study. Their findings were published in the prestigious journal "Advanced Functional Materials", marking a significant milestone in the field of assistive technology. The research team is now working toward clinical validation of the device. They plan to collect datasets from individuals with voice disabilities who can articulate different words using exhaled air. These datasets will help refine the model to recognise specific commands for operating home appliances and other smart systems.
Economic Times
a day ago
- Economic Times
IIT Guwahati develops deep learning-based sensor to turn exhaling air from mouth into voice commands
Guwahati: Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati researchers have developed an underwater vibration sensor that enables automated and contactless voice recognition. Conducted in collaboration with researchers from Ohio State University, USA, the developed sensor offers a promising alternative communication method for individuals with voice disabilities who are unable to use conventional voice-based systems. The findings of this research have been published in the prestigious journal Advanced Functional Materials, in a paper co-authored by Prof. Uttam Manna, Department of Chemistry, along with his research scholars Debasmita Sarkar, Rajan Singh, Anirban Phukan, Priyam Mondal, and Prof. Roy P. Paily, Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering from IIT Guwahati, and Prof. Xiaoguang Wang along with Ufuoma I. Kara from The Ohio State University, USA. In recent years, voice recognition has become an integral part of modern life. It helps users in operating smart devices including mobile phones, home appliances and other devices through voice commands. However, for the people with voice disorders, this technological development remains inaccessible. Recent studies show that a noticeable percentage of children and young adults aged between 3 and 21 experience some form of voice disability, underscoring the significant need for more inclusive communication technologies. To address this limitation, the research team has found a solution by focusing on the exhale air through the mouth while we speak, a basic physiological function. In cases where individuals cannot produce sound, attempting to speak generate airflow from their lungs. When this air flows over a water surface, it produces subtle waves. The research team have developed an underwater vibration sensor which can detect these water waves and interpret speech signals without depending on audible voice, thus creating a new pathway for voice developed sensor is made from a conductive, chemically reactive porous sponge. When placed just below the air-water interface, it captures the tiny disturbances created by exhaled air and converts them into measurable electrical signals. The research team used Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), a type of deep learning model, to accurately recognize these subtle signal patterns. This setup allows users to communicate with devices from a distance, without the need to generate about the developed sensor, Prof. Uttam Manna, Department of Chemistry, IIT Guwahati, said, 'It is one of rare design of material allowing to recognize voice based on monitoring the water wave formed at air/water interface because of exhaling air from mouth. This approach is likely to provide a viable solution for communication those individuals with partially or entirely damaged vocal cords.'As the next step, the research team plans to get clinical validation for the developed device. Further, the team plans to collect more datasets from individuals with voice disabilities who can articulate different words necessary for operating home appliances and other voice-commanded smart devices. Using these datasets, the research team will be able to refine the developed model for recognizing specific words or phrases when exhaled air is directed over a water development holds potential beyond voice recognition. Other than hands-free operation of various devices, the developed sensor can also be used in exercise tracking and movement detection. Additionally, its proven durability, remaining stable after extended underwater use, suggests potential applications in underwater sensing and communication.
