"There's something almost poetic about a piece of technology that looks like a fashion accessory but can fundamentally change someone's life. That's exactly what researchers at the University of Cambridge have created with Revoice, a soft, flexible choker that helps stroke survivors speak again. Around 200,000 people in the U.S. experience speech difficulties after a stroke each year. Many lose the ability to form words clearly or struggle to express complete thoughts, a condition called dysarthria."
"What makes this device fascinating is how it works. The choker sits comfortably against your throat and does two things at once. First, it picks up the tiniest vibrations from your throat muscles when you mouth words, even if no sound comes out. Second, it tracks your heart rate, which gives clues about your emotional state, whether you're frustrated, anxious, or calm."
"These signals get sent to two AI systems working together. The first AI agent focuses on reconstructing what you're trying to say based on those throat vibrations. It's essentially reading the intention behind silent or partial speech. The second agent takes things further by expanding short phrases into full, natural sentences. So if you manage to mouth "need help," the system might generate "I need help with something, can you come here?" complete with the right emotional tone based on your heart rate data."
A soft, flexible choker called Revoice helps stroke survivors with dysarthria speak again by detecting throat vibrations and heart rate. The device sits comfortably against the throat and senses tiny muscle vibrations when a user mouths words, even without audible sound. Heart-rate tracking supplies emotional context to the speech signals. Two AI systems process the data: one reconstructs intended words from vibrations; the other expands brief phrases into full, natural sentences and applies appropriate emotional tone. The wearable is washable and offers an alternative to typing, communication boards, or surgical implants, enabling more fluid, nuanced conversations.
Read at Yanko Design - Modern Industrial Design News
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