OKI Offers Polluxstar®, a Text-to-speech Software that Reproduces One's Real Voice
Ideal for applications where one's real voice should be used
TOKYO, July 24, 2008 -- Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd. (TSE: 6703) today announced it has launched "Polluxstar®(*1)" a text-to-speech (TTS) software that enables reproduction of a user's real voice complete with that individual's unique intonations and tones. By using Polluxstar on a computer, users can communicate using their own voice, instead of a mechanical non-human voice.
"OKI has many years of experience in voice communication technology and has achieved a high market share in the VoIP(*2) and CTI(*3) markets in Japan. By expanding its technology capabilities, OKI has succeeded in offering TTS software that not only is easy to listen to, but also can express each user's personality by reproducing his or her real voice," said Yuichiro Hiranuma, President of Ubiquitous Service Platform Company at OKI. "As a company, we aim to contribute to the realization of an e-society(*4), full of ubiquitous services, and where users can access information in the format they desire. In that sense, instead of just offering methods of communication, we are offering a rich communication environment that can also convey emotions."
A person's voice is a part of their identity and emotions and personality are important when conveying meaning. However, to reproduce natural-sounding voice using TTS software, long hours and hard work must be invested. This is because manufacturers build a database with a vast amount of voice data with properly pronounced words, and other voice data drawn from users reading predetermined sentences. In contrast, OKI has been researching and developing ways to reproduce voice by collecting a reasonable amount of voice data without the requirement that words necessarily be pronounced accurately. As a result, OKI succeeded in establishing a stable and effective voice database and was able to develop "real voice" technology at a practical level.
Izumi Maki, a computer science professor at Osaka University of Arts, cooperated in the process of verifying the value of this technology in a real-life situation. Prior to his surgery to remove his vocal chords from an illness, OKI recorded his voice data and installed it in Polluxstar for him to use. After six months after his surgery, Professor Maki returned to the University to give lectures again, using his "real voice" on the software. Professor Maki completed all lectures for the first half of the term in July 2008.
Professor Maki has also been actively using Polluxstar in his everyday life. He cooperated with OKI in verifying its usefulness as well as the challenges involved in practical use. As a result, it was proven that the technology was at a level viable enough to be offered to the general public for practical use, and the software was further enhanced for general use.
Hiranuma added, "We decided to offer Polluxstar to the Japanese market, aiming to help and support the people and families who lose their voice due to illness or accidents. We will continue to develop TTS technology and apply it to new applications in which one's unique voice is necessary for richer voice communication."
Glossary
- *1 :Polluxstar
The product name "Polluxstar" comes from the name "Pollux," which is one of the brother stars of the Gemini constellation. The name expresses OKI's desire to create TTS software that can speak as the person's "other half."
- *2 :VoIP
Voice over Internet Protocol
- *3 :CTI
Computer Telephony Integration
- *4 :e-society
This is a concept that OKI advocates where individuals can engage in various social activities in an equal, secure manner. This can be done as wide range of information is exchanged beyond time and space over global networks thus breaking down the boundaries between countries, regions and cultures.
About Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
Founded in 1881, Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd. is Japan's first telecommunications manufacturer, with its headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. OKI provides top-quality products, technologies and solutions to its customers through its info-telecom system business, semiconductor business and printer business. All three businesses function as a collective force to create exciting new products and technologies that satisfy a spectrum of customer needs in various markets. Visit OKI's global web site at http://www.oki.com/.
- Polluxstar is a registered trademark of Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd. in Japan.
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- * Information in the press releases is current on the date of the press announcement, but is subject to change without prior notice.