Google wants your help in making its speech recognition technology more inclusive of those with a speech impairment.
The tech giant is working on improving its voice assistant technology with the launch of an app that recognizes impaired speech and is inviting you to sign up to help.
Continue reading to find out more about this initiative and how you can get involved.
What Is Google's Project Relate About?
Google is being intentional about being inclusive and leaving no one behind as it continues to grow and advance, so it's improving its speech recognition technology with the launch of a new app called Project Relate.
This is an Android app that aims to help people with speech impairments communicate more easily with others and interact with Google Assistant.
Julie Cattiau, Product Manager at Google AI, described who the app is for in a Google blog post:
For millions of people, being able to speak and be understood can be difficult as a result of conditions that can impact speech, including stroke, ALS, Cerebral Palsy, traumatic brain injury, or Parkinson's disease. Today, we’re inviting an initial group of people to test Project Relate, a new Android app that aims to help people with speech impairments communicate more easily with others and interact with the Google Assistant.
Google is inviting you to sign up to test out its Project Relate app so it can use your feedback to improve it for its users.
How to Sign Up for Google's Project Relate Test
If you are keen on helping Google test its Project Relate app, you can sign up at g.co/ProjectRelate, but there are several requirements you have to meet to be eligible to join the test.
Of course, you would need to be 18 or older and strangers or people you've just met should find it difficult to understand your speech. You also need to be an English speaker residing in the United States, Australia, Canada, or New Zealand.
Because this is a Google product, you need to have a Google account and an Android phone running at least Android 8. During the test, you'll have to record 500 phrases, which should take you between 30 to 90 minutes to record.
Google says the app will transcribe your speech in real time. It will use it to automatically learn how to "better understand your unique speech patterns, and then give you access to three main features: Listen, Repeat, and Assistant."
Google Is Making Its Technology More Inclusive
Technology is always changing and improving. Unfortunately, it isn't always inclusive. In launching Project Relate, Google is ensuring that as its technology advances, it doesn't leave those with impaired speech behind.