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Ben Hardy opinion, June 20, 2007 - 6:53 am
Voice-Activated IR TV Remote Control
InVoca’s 3.0 voice-activated IR remote may be the latest in TV remotes, but can it prove to be an effective voice-recognition device?
InVoca Voice Activated Remote Control Why just the other day I was writing about a new voice recognition chip that promises to improve upon what I find to be a frustrating and flawed technology. And lo and behold what do I come upon but a voice-activated TV remote control by InVoca. Sold through SmartHome’s Web site, this $44.99 device may score coolness points for the host of a viewing event, but it also might seal our nation’s fate as the laziest in the world. First…
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Filed under: Remote ControlsVoice RecognitionHome TheaterHome Control Viewed 2116 times.

5 comments

Posted by  on  06/22  at  11:40 AM

I did a quick search on this product. It is a dog,. It does not respond to voice commands in any way that would make you anything but angry. You would toss it in the garbage if getting your money back was not an option.

Posted by  on  06/22  at  12:55 PM

Sounds interesting. All great and widely used technologies began in this fashion...something kind of cool, kinda works, etc. The ultimate automated enviroinment will surely have voice activation involved.

Posted by  on  06/22  at  02:00 PM

Yeah, I found a review that suggested the VR leaves a little something to be desired. Changes in one’s pitch throw the remote off, and it won’t respond. Basically you have to speak exactly like you did when training the remote in order for it to work. In other words, just like my cell phone’s voice dialing feature…

Posted by  on  06/26  at  02:19 PM

At this date in time, trying to pull off VA/VR on a $40 CE product is plain dumb. VR is a viable tool and I do believe it has a viable future in HA. Background noise, speech tone changes there are considerable hurdles but VR in the right situation can work quite well right now. Pre-learned out-of-box VR can be very effective, again given the right circumstances. What would be one? Sitting on your commode and needing to execute a function; don’t laugh, some people spend a lot of time on their pottys aptly know as The Reading Center. Is this a place where you want to be fooling with a touchscreen?

Posted by  on  07/23  at  09:12 PM

This looked like a good remote for my 80 year old father, who has dementia to the level that he cannot connect with the right buttons on even a simple remote (read this as: remotes have other practical uses beyond accomodating the lazy).  I cannot even talk him through pressing the correct buttons while I guide him over the phone so he can get the right channel for the ball game.  BUT, I could get him to say “Channel 36” or “Power” into a VR capable remote.  But given the reviews here, I will wait for a better product.

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