4 Powerful Ways Speech Recognition Changes User-Device Experience

As the applications become more commonplace for today’s consumers, there are transformations in the way users interact with the devices they own.

Here are four ways that show how voice technology has advanced.

Hands-free life: Throughout the day there are multiple occasions that one may need to use a phone, personal computer or a controller for a device. At one time, all those things were physically tied to cables and keyboards. This changed remarkably with the introduction of speech recognition, voice commands, and smart devices. In fact, mobile phones, computers and controllers today can all be linked together through IOT. The user is no longer tethered by cables and to keyboards, making it possible to trigger actions and events only with words. Taking notes, setting reminders and alarms is something that can be done instantaneously, and also while working on something else at the same time. It’s a smoother interaction that also allows for seamless multitasking.

Security: Once associated with futuristic sci-fi tales, speech recognition makes it clear that the future is now. Adding voice recognition through biometric data to devices makes life safer for the user and also helps to eliminate the need for physical keys to access home, office or other secured space. Now those “keys” become your unique voice. Special algorithms and speech analysis identify individual users while advancements in technology help distinguish a human from a recording. Voice biometrics define a new way — as well as safer, faster and more adequate way — of authentication that far surpasses pin passwords or other two-factor authentication techniques.

Social Inclusion: Being able to write using just your voice and without a physical input interface (like a keyboard), allows people with disabilities to interact via voice commands with smart IoT devices.. Limitations are lifted for those who find typing difficult, painful or impossible. Voice recognition also helps users who suffer with spelling difficulties (such as dyslexia) because recognized verbal words are always correctly spelled. These simple changes affect everyday life and improve social inclusion that can lead to acceptance, more opportunities, and in general a better society overall. Instead of isolating humans, speech recognition has a positive impact of enabling a new dimension of inclusiveness.

Search engines: People write and speak in specific ways. While typing a question into a search engine, keywords may only be entered. However, when a person speaks and asks a question verbally, he or she tends to use more words. Speaking is a more natural way of communication, but it has taken thousands of years for our brains to interpret language, dialects and accents. Voice recognition allows for customization of each user. Meanwhile, search engines are evolving to integrate the speech recognition to keep up with the demand. As accuracy improves, searching as we currently know it will change from being keyword based and instead become a more natural call and response for questions we have about the world around us.