Three cheers for subvocalization

According to a February 26 press release by Texas Instruments:

Ambient Corporation today gave the first live demonstration of how its new technology, the Audeo, will enable voiceless communication either face-to-face or via phone. The Audeo, based on ultra-low power MSP430 microcontroller (MCU) technology from Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NYSE: TXN - News), will offer life-changing options for people who have lost the ability to move or speak due to neurological disorders, Lou Gehrig's Disease (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy or Parkinson's. To see a video of this technology in action, please visit www.ti.com/tidc08multimedia.

"The Audeo can enable voiceless communication that is virtually as easy as just thinking about it," said Michael Callahan, CEO and co-founder of Ambient Corporation. "Historically, every time it becomes easier for people to communicate, people become more connected and the interactions enrich people's lives. It is our hope that the Audeo will allow many more profound ideas to change the world through communication." 

The Audeo is a wireless sensor worn on the neck to capture neurological activity that the brain sends to the vocal cords, and then digitizes this activity using analog and digital technology to turn it into speech.

This is not a mind-reading device. It interprets a process called subvocalization, which occurs in the throat, not the brain (although, of course, the signals come from the brain). Here is a 2004 press release from NASA explaining the

NASA scientists have begun to computerize human, silent reading using nerve signals in the throat that control speech.

In preliminary experiments, NASA scientists found that small, button-sized sensors, stuck under the chin and on either side of the "Adam's apple," could gather nerve signals, and send them to a processor and then to a computer program that translates them into words. Eventually, such "subvocal speech" systems could be used in spacesuits, in noisy places like airport towers to capture air-traffic controller commands, or even in traditional voice-recognition programs to increase accuracy, according to NASA scientists.

"What is analyzed is silent, or subauditory, speech, such as when a person silently reads or talks to himself," said Chuck Jorgensen, a scientist whose team is developing silent, subvocal speech recognition at NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. "Biological signals arise when reading or speaking to oneself with or without actual lip or facial movement," Jorgensen explained.

"A person using the subvocal system thinks of phrases and talks to himself so quietly, it cannot be heard, but the tongue and vocal chords do receive speech signals from the brain," Jorgensen said.

This is what you do when you "hear" your own speech in your head. Most people subvocalize when they read, but some do it more consciously and carefully than others. As an English teacher, I've found that meticulous subvocalization leads to much better comprehension of complex reading materials and helps writers fine-tune their ability to gauge potential reader response. This is why I dislike speed reading -- it saves reading time by trying to eliminate subvocalization and relying entirely on sight-based word recognition instead.

Hat tip to Geeks Are Sexy which has a fascinating video.

Comments

[Tracey]

It's interesting to hear that another avid reader who gobbles tons of information daily doesn't like speed reading, either. I find I read more deeply and write better because I can hear myself in my head.

[Ana]

This would be so dangerous if you accidentally picked up in a crappy mood.

"Great. It's that whining Steve AGAIN."

[Ana]

Not dangerous. Revealing.

[gail]

Absolutely Tracey. You miss all the subtleties, not to mention much of the actual content, when you turn off your subvocalization.

[dorkafork]

I'd think you'd miss any sort of lyrical quality if you were to speed-reading. Can you imagine speed-reading Shakespeare? The thought is absurd. James Joyce? Impossible.

My favorite quote about speed reading is from Woody Allen: "I took a speed-reading course and read War and Peace in 20 minutes. It involves Russia."

[gail]

HAH!

[MC]

I saw this the other day somewhere - they have a long way to go to meet reasonable performance requirements. Wonder when that will be?

Sometime before we can get wetware installed?

Or will the technology collide with Moore's Law?

I dunno, we live in interesting times...