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United Institute of Informatics Problems of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus for more than 40 years\u00a0has been engaged<\/span>\u00a0in speech technology. A new direction proposed by the former head of the laboratory, and now – the main researcher, Boris Lobanov\u00a0Ph.D. – is computer person voice cloning.<\/p>\n This technology allows you to play any text with the manners of reading of a particular person and his voice, to recreate the voices of well-known personalities.<\/p>\n Lilija CIRU\u0139NIK, the acting head of the speech synthesis and recognition laboratory of the United Institute of Informatics Problems of the National Academy of Sciences tells us about prospects for the development of speech technologies.<\/p>\n \u2014\u00a0What is the speech recognition?<\/p>\n \u2014 The ultimate goal of speech recognition to make computer program\u00a0understand the meaning of statements and perform some action. There are two tasks. The first one \u2014 separate voice recognition commands.For example, instead of entering these or other commands using the keyboard or mouse, you can give them by voice. The system will respond \u2014 select text, copy, move to the line above.<\/p>\n The system can be used in manufacture when working with complex equipment, where instead of using mechanical levers voice commands can be utilized.<\/p>\n The second problem \u2014\u00a0a so-called recognition of continuous speech. It’s like stenography. So the computer will be able to\u00a0give you our conversation\u00a0in a view of\u00a0a text file.<\/p>\n \u2014 Speech synthesis\u00a0\u2014 vice versa?<\/p>\n \u2014 Yes. Speech Synthesizer is a computer program, which according to the entered text by voice output information, creates audio files corresponding to the input text.<\/span> Do you want to – the program will read to you Leo Tolstoy or a newspaper article. The main thing is an original\u00a0text file.<\/p>\n \u2014 Then whose voice will it be?<\/p>\n \u2014 Any text of any size can be read by male or female voice. With an original technology, we can create a personal voice of any man. When playing, you can change the tone of voice, the speed and the playback volume. The resulting voice recording can be saved in different formats, for example, in the popular MP3 format.<\/p>\n \u2014 How can you use it in practice?<\/p>\n \u2014 With it, for example, we can create audiobooks. Of course, a professional actor will voice audiobook much better than a computer program. However, with the use of the program – a speech synthesizer, you can choose to listen to any book and to create on its basis the sound file.<\/p>\n The speech synthesizer is important for blind and visually impaired people and, in particular, information kiosks, which are now used in banks, airports, railway stations.\u00a0<\/span>Information kiosks give not only visual information (granted on the screen), but voice\u00a0information as well. This information is now usually pre-recorded and played back when necessary. However, after\u00a0any change it should be rewritten. If you use a speech synthesizer, it will simplify and reduce the cost of the task.<\/p>\n Another example is to inform customers on the phone. For instance, some organizations have to report the debt for the rent or telephone. It would also be wise to use a speech synthesizer.<\/p>\n By embedding a speech synthesizer in the<\/span> work<\/span>\u00a0with e-mail,<\/span> you can listen to the incoming mail while doing something else<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>You can, for example, convert\u00a0the form of an electronic newspaper into the audio file and listen to it on the way to work.<\/p>\n \u2014 Are there many such programs in the world?<\/p>\n \u2014 Yes, of course, Programs exist for the majority of modern languages. There are several systems for the Russian language, the quality of which is comparable with the system we have created. The development of a speech synthesizer for each language has its own characteristics.<\/p>\n \u2014 You are working on the creation of speech synthesis for the Belarusian language, aren’t you?<\/p>\n \u2014 Yes. But the quality of the program does not satisfy us.<\/p>\n \u2014 What’s the problem?<\/p>\n \u2014 One of the main features <\/span>is the development of linguistic and acoustic information resources while creating a speech synthesis system.<\/span>\u00a0In the synthesis speech text you need to know where to put the emphasis on\u00a0each word. Belarusian and Russian does not have stable stresses, so you need to create an electronic dictionary of stresses, containing the largest possible number of words. Another problem is the intonation of speech.\u00a0To make synthesized speech \u201cright\u201d a database<\/span> should be created<\/span> \u00a0for the intonations of the Belarusian language.\u00a0<\/span>It is necessary to have a voice database for scoring arbitrary text, which contains all the sounds of the language and basic shades.\u00a0<\/span>Such a framework for the Russian language contains about 800 short audio segments. It is necessary to replenish the sounds specific to the Belarusian language<\/p>\n \u2014 Are your developments available for users?<\/p>\n \u2013\u00a0We offer the developed system of creating and scoring audiobooks \u201caBookForge\u201d \u00a0as software product that can be purchased by any user.\u00a0<\/span>The Institute has concluded a license agreement with a private firm, which sells it.<\/p>\n \u2014 Tell us about the project “Talking Head”.<\/p>\n \u2013 It\u00a0is an audio-visual speech synthesis. Speech synthesis audiovisual technology includes not only the scoring of voice, text comments, but also it displays the head and articulatory organs (lips, cheeks, jaw, etc.) during text pronunciation.\u00a0There are two approaches of formation\u00a0an audio-visual speech synthesizer: the creation of stylized three-dimensional model of “talking heads”, as well as creating a personal two-dimensional “talking head” of a particular person on the basis of photographs of his face in the pronunciation of certain sounds. The system of audiovisual speech synthesis on the text<\/span> is in demand<\/span> not only for people with sight problems, but also <\/span>for<\/span> hard of hearing, as they can read the \u201ctalking head\u2019s\u201d lips<\/span><\/p>\n \u2014 In your opinion, what prospects has the development of speech technologies in Belarus?<\/p>\n \u2013\u00a0During the last 15-20 years the speech technologies got rapid development. Speech recognition, speech synthesis of text, voice identification and verification of identity has now achieved a high quality and are used in many practical applications. However, existing systems are used in many new practical fields, new ways of their improving are developing. The speech technology development has high potential in Belarus. TTS<\/span>\u00a0systems can be further developed and implemented on the scoring systems of public transport, teaching of Russian \/ Belarusian, self-service terminals.<\/span><\/p>\n Source:<\/strong>\u00a0http:\/\/baranovichi.by\/belarus-news\/14374-v-akademii-nauk-sozdali-sintezator-rechi-dlja-belaruskogo-jazyka.html<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n