Real Time Text to Speech Project

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Real Time Text to Speech Project

• College of Staten Island
• Disability Services and Office of Information
  Technology

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Project Team

• Michael Kress, Vice President of Information
  Technology.
• Margaret Venditti, Director of Disability
  Services.
• Maryellen Smoka, Coordinator, Resource Center for
  Deaf.
• David Vamadevan, Information System Assistant for
  Assistive Technology.
• Joseph Nicolosi, Assistive Technologist
  Disability Services.
• Office of Information Technology

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Introduction

• The Real Time Speech to Text project is cutting
  edge technology the we are attempting to utilize
  in a classroom setting. A hared copy of a
  professors lecture is backed-up onto a secondary
  storage disc. The projects main goal is to
  provide equal access to Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing
  students who do not use American Sign Language
  (ASL). The project can also be beneficial to
  other students because they are able to obtain a
  hard copy of the lecture.

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Challenges and Solutions

• Messenger Software.
• Phones and Mobility.
• Internet Access and Mobility.
• Microphones.

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Messenger Software

• This software connect two computers via the
  Internet.
• AOL Instant Messenger was used at the start of
  the project.
• The difficulties we faced with AOL Instant
  Messenger was varied.

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AIM and the Problems

• AOL Instant Messenger is a simple chat- base
  program.
• Every student does not have AOL Instant
  Messenger.
• AOL cannot share programs.
• It is necessary to have user names.
• A captionist in the remote area must copy and
  paste the text from AIM to Dragon pad.

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Solutions

• We research and tested various programs and
  decide on Microsoft Net Meeting. This program has
  lot of advantages.

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Microsoft Net Meeting

• Microsoft Net Meeting is a multimedia program
  using text , audio and video.
• Two computers are easily connected with IP
  address of both computers.
• Microsoft Net Meeting can share programs between
  programs . As a result of this there is no need
  to copy and paste text.
• The video feature can be used in the future to
  enhance Real Time Speech to Text.

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Phones and Mobility

• In the beginning phones are carried to
  classrooms and connected in order to start the
  text-taking process.
• There were various of problems

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Phones and the Problems

• A technician must be available in order to
  connect the phone and the wireless microphone.
• A designated phone line is necessary.
• Equipment must be transported from classroom to
  classroom.
• Not all the classrooms are equipped with an
  operative voice port.

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Wireless

• We worked and researched with the networking and
  the telecommunication branch of OIT.
• The positive results were numerous.
• We obtained new, advance , and powerful wireless
  (2GB) telephones and headsets.

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Advantages

• The telephones were installed in the telephone
  closets nearby students classroom. This
  eliminated the need for a technician.
• The telephones are programmed to dial-up
  automatically, therefore the professor can start
  by touching one button.
• There are no concerns about he port in the
  classrooms

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Internet Access and Mobility

• At the beginning of the project wireless internet
  access was not available in every building. This
  was problematic.

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Wired

• Students laptops needed to be connected with the
  network cable. This was inconvenient to the deaf
  students as well as to their classmates.
• Classroom data ports can be inoperative at times.
• Port security is made things difficult.
• Deaf student/s must sit close to the data port,
  which in some case may be at the far end of the
  classroom.

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Changes

• OIT installed wireless ports throughout the
  campus and wireless network cards were installed
  onto the students laptops .
• This proved to be beneficial and much mobility.

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Wireless

• An improvement in mobility also resulted in a
  feeling of independence.
• There are no concerns regarding port security.
• Students can be situated anywhere within the
  classroom.
• Other students in the classroom will not be
  disturbed.

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Microphones

• Microphones must be powerful so that the
  captionist is able to hear the message.
• Microphones must be light weight so the
  professor/s could move around their classroom
  uninhibited.

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Conclusion

• Through hard work and diligence the project team
  was successful in bringing the fruition the Real
  Time Speech to Text project