Augmented and alternative NLP techniques for augmentative and alternative communication
Ann Copestake · 1997
Current communication devices designed for non-speaking users are inadequate to support conversation because the speed with which a user can input information is typically very limited. We describe some practical work on word prediction, and discuss its limitations as a technique for speeding up free text entry. We then outline an alternative approach, currently under development, which combines prediction with a constrained technique for natural language generation. 1 Introduction The work described in this paper concerns the communication needs of people who cannot speak because of motor disabilities. It is possible to build prosthetic devices for such users by linking a suitable physical interface with a speech synthesizer, so that text or other symbolic input can be converted to speech. However, while speech rates in normal conversation are around 150-200 words per minute (wpm), and skilled typists can achieve rates of 30-40 wpm 1 , conditions which impair physical ability to sp...