Investigators:
Katie Seaver, The Babel Group
Rachel Levy, The Babel Group
MassAITC Cohort: Year 5 (Aging)
Initial Proposal Abstract: Many older adults with severe speech impairments caused by stroke, ALS, Parkinson’s, or brain injury lose the ability to communicate clearly. Most current tools rely on typing or eye movement, which can be hard to use for people with limited mobility. Voiceitt is a speech recognition app that helps people speak using their own voice by learning how they pronounce certain phrases.
In this study, 15 adults aged 55 and older will record personal phrases like “I need help” or “I’m cold.” The Voiceitt app will be trained to recognize how each person says their phrases. Participants will then use the app in their daily lives. The study will look at how accurate the app is, how easy it is to use, and how often people use it.
This early version of the app focuses on a fixed set of phrases to improve accuracy. In the future, users may be able to adjust how flexible or strict the app is, depending on their needs. Data collected will include voice recordings, app usage, and user feedback. The goal is to help people with speech difficulties communicate more easily and stay connected.