Read my lips - How useful are (cell) phones that can interpret silent mouth movements?
The future (mobile) phones might be able to convert silent mouth movements into speech. The unique method has been developed by the researchers at Germany’s Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).
The new technology will allow communicating in silent environments, at the cinema or theater, without disturbing others. Under this technique, the user can speak into the phone soundlessly, but is still understood by the conversation partner on the other end of the line. The technology is based on the principle of electromyography which is the acquisition and recording of electrical potentials generated by muscle activity. This muscle activity is measured in the face and converted into speech. The transmission of confidential information like passwords and PINs will become easier as a result of read lips method.
http://wirelessfederation.com/news/22751-mobile-phones-reading-lips/
The technology might also be useful in crowded noisy offices. Or for people with a sore throat or a general vocal cord condition.
What do you think about this? Would you be willing to use this technology if available?
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12 Answers
Can I ever think of some embarrassing moments for people who are absent minded and use this technology.
There was a documentary on German tv. It looked a bit strange at first, but not embarrassing.
It will take some getting use to,,,, “PLUS” it will take quite a long time to work out the bugs. There will be a lot of misunderstandings when you utter to your Nana good “LUCK” but the phone understands it as “SUCK ” or ” *UCK ”
SIX ~SEX SHIP ~ SH*T” etc,etc
Linguistics can make use of context and the redundancy in language.
I could see where it would have its uses. Probably. I’m one of those “early-adopter-if I-can-afford-it” types, though I don’t use my mobile at the cinema or restaurants. Maybe if I were at a noisy footy match, such a phone would be very useful.
I guess this will leave all the Bluetooth douchebags unable to use it. (I have a Bluetooth headset & use it at times – it’s the ones who walk around wearing it endlessly & talking everywhere they go I get annoyed at.)
@netgrrl – It requires sensors stuck to your skin around the mouth.
So, you’ll look like something like this, when in the cinema?
Sensors? LOL I can’t see that catching on anytime soon – until the day they’re implantable (& remove wrinkles too.)
Lip reading has its limitations. Not all the information contained in normal speech can be extracted from lip-reading—somewhere I read that lip-reading only reveals about a third of the information content of speech, though the deaf can perhaps infer more by context & body language. That’s based observing motion of the mouth.
Don’t know about electromyography, though I’m skeptical about how much content can be extracted that way. I think it will be centuries—if ever—before AI computers can lip-read like Hal did in 2001:A Space Odyssey.
@rebbel – Not that bad. I’ll try to find a picture.
@gasman – Yes, it does. The question will be: Is it good enough?
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