Google introduced an accessibility app for people with speech and motor disabilities earlier this week. Speech and language experts say the Look to Speak app will be useful for many of their patients.
Meet Jessica AI Speech Therapist: A Revolution in Speech Therapy Technology
There are numerous augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) aids on the market, but experts believe Look to Speak is one of them because of its flexibility and accessibility.
"There are other eye tracking systems out there, but they require special hardware. So this is pretty groundbreaking," Allison Hilger, an assistant professor at the University of Colorado Boulder and a speech-language pathologist, told Lifewire by phone.
The app uses facial recognition technology that is already built into smartphones. People simply look left, right or up to select what they want to say from a list of phrases, and the app speaks the phrases for them. Look to Speak also allows people to personalize their words and phrases, so they can use their authentic voice.
