- Dell Technologies and Intel, in association with the Motor Neurone Disease Association and Rolls-Royce launch the first bank that stores the voice of patients with neurodegenerative diseases.
- Additionally, the project simplifies and humanizes the experience and encourages people to take action earlier in their diagnosis.
- Voice banking is a powerful way to maintain personal identity and expression by creating a digital replica that can be used as the disease progresses.
Dell Technologies and Intelin association with Motor Neurone Disease Association and Rolls-Royce, have worked with VMLY&R to create “I Will Always Be Me”the first book and bank of its kind for people living with motor neurone diseases (MND) that stores their voices as they read aloud.
The project invites people to take earlier measures in their diagnosis
MND is a neurodegenerative condition that deteriorates muscle nerve cells and ultimately eliminates a person’s ability to speak over time.
By integrating voice banking technology with the difficult task of explaining MND to loved ones, the project simplifies and humanizes the experience and encourages people to take action earlier in their diagnosis.
Written by the best-selling author of the New York TimesJill Twiss, the book is created from the perspective of a person living with MND and explains what will happen in a thoughtful and informative way through an immersive digital experience. To launch the project, a documentary was made showing a group of people with MND and their families as they experience the book for the first time.
How does it work:
- By visiting the website, people can get information about the program on the home page and start the recording experience. The book is opened, and as the user reads the book to their loved ones, their voice is automatically recorded.
- All the sounds needed to create a digital voice are built into the story naturally, so when the reader completes the book, your digital voice can be processed quickly.
- Once all the pages are recorded, they can review their recording and re-record pieces as needed.
- If they’re ready for create a digital/synthetic voice, they can share their recording with SpeakUnique to request a digital voice.
- They can also share their recorded version of the book with friends and family through a unique link.
Support those living with MND:
- Voice banking is a powerful way to maintain personal identity and expression by creating a digital replica that can be used as the disease progresses. The process involves extracting specific sounds from the recording and aligning them with the pre-written text. An algorithm then extrapolates the unique characteristics of the voice (and is based on gender, age, accent, etc.) to create a synthetic voice that can be installed on any assistive technology device.
- Start the process earlier (while the voice is intact), as that is the best way to get a good digital voice before the person living with MND loses their own voice altogether.
- It humanizes the experience: it can store one’s voice from homeusing your own device, surrounded by loved ones as a shared/meaningful experience.
- It enables people living with MND to store their voice as a seamless connected experience compared to the current way of reading disconnected sentences into a microphone.
“It’s not often that you can build your client’s brand and move humanity forward all at the same time,” said Wayne Best, CCO, VMLY&R New York.
“Through the power of creativity, collaboration and technology, we have created an advanced voice banking tool that solves a complex problem in the simplest and most humane way possible.”
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