I don’t own any home automation products that utilize speech recognition technology, and my car doesn’t start when I tell it to. I do, however, have a cell phone that is supposed to dial contacts when I say their name (aka “voice dialing"). I think I have used the feature four or five times in the two-year life of the phone, and none of those attempts were successful. Seems my phone can’t quite understand what I am saying. I know I have fairly decent enunciation, so what is the problem?

Maybe the manufacturer of my cell phone needs to integrate Sensory Inc.’s new RSC-41920, their latest in speech recognition integrated circuits (IC). I won’t get into all the technology behind the new IC from Sensory, but it is worth mentioning that the updated firmware meant to accompany the RSC-41920—called FluentChip 3.0—should bring vast improvements to home automation devices and other toys that incorporate this technology.

Improvements include increased voice recognition accuracy in high-noise environments (like when I am driving in my car), pronunciation predictors (because there are so many ways one can pronounce my brother’s name—“Nate"), and a reduced code size on the processor, which apparently will free up code space on the processor for additional and more robust end-product features.

Most importantly, the new IC from Sensory is intended to be a cost-effective and easily integrated technology, which should translate into less expensive devices and products that use this kind of technology, and an improved experience, which is all I’m really asking for in my cell phone ...

Check out Sensory, Inc.’s Web site at www.sensoryinc.com to see some of the big brand names that manufacture products and devices using this technology, and to see where in your life this technology can be incorporated.

Between watching re-runs of the “The Jetsons” and convincing his Insteon and Z-Wave controls to get along, Ben Hardy is immersed in the world of home automation, home control, and home networking.

Ben Hardy
Contributing Reporter, ElectronicHouse.com

Between watching re-runs of the The Jetsons and convincing his Insteon and Z-Wave controls to get along, Ben Hardy is immersed in the world of home automation, home control, and home networking.

Ben Hardy can be reached at ben.hardy@comcast.net