East Grinstead, West Sussex-based Shakespeare Speechwriter UK Ltd, formerly EMG Software, has developed a voice-activated speech recognition computer system that could finally bring the past 10 years of research to fruition. Speech recognition research started as a result of a government initiative. Shakespeare took over the results of the UK government-funded Alvey speech recognition project, combined it with research from a number of UK universities, and in January 1995 launched its flagship product named Shakespeare Speechwriter. The software runs under Windows on 80486 personal computers running at 66MHz and above and needs 8Mb of memory. Users spend the first few weeks inputting all words and phrases via a microphone to build up the user dictionary, which can store an estimated 36,000 words or phrases in any language. The voice-activated system supports dictation at a rate of more than 30 words per minute, a marked improvement on the 20 words per minute rate average clocked up by non-touch typists. Trent Regional Health Authority is just coming to the end of a pilot trial using it and Shakespeare say things have gone better than expected. Trent has found the voice-activated system to be of great benefit for doctors and consultants who would otherwise have had to dictate information into a tape recorder. Trent says it will use the equipment for a few more months before deciding how many systems it intends to use on a long-term basis. Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd is said to be at a similar stage to the Trent Health Authority with beta trials. It is using the system to record booking information. Within the education sector, Kingston University in Surrey, an institution that likes to consider itself on the cutting edge of innovative techniques, has set up a speech laboratory. It has taken 20 Speechwriter packages to establish the first lab of its kind in a UK university. One student suffering from repetitive strain injury and others with disabilities will be testing the kit during this academic year. Shakespeare says British Gas Plc, employer of some 27,000 operators, is currently considering piloting the system on a regional basis, but any decision is still a long way off. Shakespeare Speechwriter packages, which include microphone, software and manual, cost ú400.
