A new digital lip-reader that outperforms existing systems could revolutionise the way that we communicate with our devices and each other, according to the team that designed it.
LipType is not the first lip-reading software, but the team behind it claim that it is able to operate 58% faster and with 53% higher accuracy than existing systems.
Professor Ahmed Sabbir Arif from the Human-Computer Interaction Group said that current systems were rarely used due to the fact that they tended to be slow and ineffectual.
The lab’s new technology also has the ability to continue to learn to read the lips of an individual user, potentially becoming even more efficient.
The LipType system was tested in a variety of real-world settings, including busy environments, low lighting, and other lighting conditions.
Voice-to-text systems are increasingly common, but they do have drawbacks.
Their effectiveness can be hampered by noisy conditions and the software can also struggle with unclear pronunciation and accents, especially for people who are not native speakers.
Lip-reading software can offer more privacy and security
A lip-reading system has the added bonus of offering more privacy and security if the situation is not appropriate for speaking out loud.
Whether you are in an important meeting, riding on public transport, or in a public space such as a shop, you can quickly send a text message or record a note by mouthing the words without having to say them out loud.
As well as sending text messages privately via smartphones, laptops or other devices, Professor Arif said that the team’s ‘design for all’ approach could see the system used in many different settings.
It could help you to interact contact-free with a smart car, an ATM or another device, or a kiosk where speaking aloud might not be the best idea.
It could also be useful in the fields of law enforcement or surveillance, or it could be used for effective real-time closed captioning on films or TV shows.
As well as rigorous testing of the software involved, the team behind LipType conducted market research online and in the local community.
They found that people who tried the system in a variety of settings gave a positive response, with many willing to use it in a public space or setting, even if it was less accurate than other methods.
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