A project led by one of the creators of Google Glass aims to make it possible for people to talk without talking or using their hands.
The project, called Silent Speller, is a communication system that allows you to send messages using a high-tech dental retainer to spell words without having to pronounce them.
The device tracks the movement of the user’s tongue and reaches a97% accuracy in identifying letters for accuracy and 93% for complete words.
SilentSpeller, is a Georgia Institute of Technology research project, so for now it’s more of an academic project than a commercial one.
However, the device could eventually be used tohelp people with movement disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor.
However, the device could eventually be used tohelp people with movement disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor.They also see potential consumer applications such as hands-free communication in very quiet places, like a library, or in very noisy places where people would have to force their voices to be heard.
To develop SilentSpeller, the researchers did not create a completely new retainer from scratch. Instead, they tampered with an existing product called SmartPalate, which is loaded with tiny sensors to track tongue movement in speech therapy.
The software creates a visual map of language functioning when speaking, But while SmartPalate’s primary use is to help people correct speech disorders, researchers working on SilentSpeller have adapted the system to turn the retainer into a communication tool.
The device reads the tongue movements through the 124 retention sensors, and the data is sent to a personal computer or smartphone via a USB cable.
This means that, for now, prototype users will have a cable hanging from their mouthsBut the researchers think they could create a wireless version that fits completely in the mouth. The device requires a dental impression for a custom retainer.