Visual synthesis of speech

Abstract

The eyes can come to be the sole tool of communication for highly disabled patients. With the appropriate technology it is possible to successfully interpret eye movements, increasing the possibilities of patient communication with the use of speech synthesisers. A system of these characteristics will have to include a speech synthesiser, an interface for the user to construct the text and a method of gaze interpretation. In this way a situation will be achieved in which the user will manage the system solely with his eyes. This review sets out the state of the art of the three modules that make up a system of this type, and finally it introduces the speech synthesis system (Síntesis Visual del Habla {SiVHa]), which is being developed in the Public University of Navarra.