UBIREX, Korea’s leading speech access company, has developed a core technology called NovaSearch, with voice-enabled applications. This allows access to very large databases with just a single utterance. The firm has focused on developing the technology in the belief that “voice will become the interface of choice for consumer applications of all types” and that “users should be able to ask for information quickly, easily and directly without needing an enrollment process or complicated and time-consuming dialogues.”
When using a GPS car navigation system, many drivers may have found it irritating to enter the address of their destination. They may have dreamt of something more convenient, which has probably motivated many scientists and engineers to find out better solutions.
A new navigation system, into which the voice input, instead of text input, of a destination, has become highly popular with drivers. Despite clear advantages of the new system, it still requires the users to put voice search on the car navigation system the same way as you conduct a text search by following the same number of steps. But now stop worrying about this kind of cumbersome process.
New Voice Input System
The company has developed the single input, large vocabulary recognition (SILVR) technology, the next-generation core technology for voice recognition. The company made the new technology public at a briefing presentation held in Seoul on July 13.
The voice recognition technology had been used until recently chiefly for the search of a name directory stored on mobile phones, simple voice input for the selection of menus, or ARS search in car telematics systems. Only recently did it begin to be used for the voice input of destination in navigation systems. In the future, mobile services using the voice recognition technology, which will make it possible to search large-capacity databases, will be available. It seems likely that the voice recognition and search functions in the mobile online gadgets furnished with high-end functions of various kinds, such as Smart Phones and Smart Books, will be in the limelight.
UBIREX-Novauris Cooperation
UBIREX has signed an agreement on strategic affiliation with Novauris Technologies of the United Kingdom to import the core technology for speech recognition. Based on this core technology, UBIREX plans to develop the core technology for the Korean-language-based speech recognition system and mobile voice search platform this year in order to give technical support to mobile handset makers, mobile service providers, content providers, Internet service providers, and mobile application developers.
In cooperation with Novauris, UBIREX will develop English and Korean-based mobile killer applications -- based on Apple iPhone, Google Android Apps, and Microsoft Windows mobile platform -- and register them on the open app stores late this year and carry out global marketing activities.
Advance into Overseas Markets
In addition to the Korean-language service, UBIREX plans to develop voice recognition and search technology with Japanese and Chinese language services by 2012. Novauris, meanwhile, has finished developing a prototype model of English-based SmartPhone and PND targeting the North American market in cooperation with UBIREX.
UBIREX will focus on keyword-based mobile voice search, voice and GPS information-based navigation, and voice-based digital content search. The company will also develop, as future growth engine projects, speech-to-text technology-based SMS and voice-based mobile e-mail office solutions.
Social Welfare Projects
Furthermore, UBIREX is set to actively participate in social welfare projects so that a digital world based on voice access technologies is built for the people with physical disabilities and senior citizens in conformity with the government’s policy to remove discrimination against those with handicaps.
