Speech Recognition - Important Concepts in Signal Processing, Image Processing and Data Compression - page 43

the UK. Work in France has included speech recognition in the Puma helicopter. There
has also been much useful work in Canada. Results have been encouraging, and voice
applications have included: control of communication radios; setting of navigation
systems; and control of an automated target handover system.
As in fighter applications, the overriding issue for voice in helicopters is the impact on
pilot effectiveness. Encouraging results are reported for the AVRADA tests, although
these represent only a feasibility demonstration in a test environment. Much remains to
be done both in speech recognition and in overall speech recognition technology, in order
to consistently achieve performance improvements in operational settings.
Battle management
Battle Management command centres generally require rapid access to and control of
large, rapidly changing information databases. Commanders and system operators need to
query these databases as conveniently as possible, in an eyes-busy environment where
much of the information is presented in a display format. Human-machine interaction by
voice has the potential to be very useful in these environments. A number of efforts have
been undertaken to interface commercially available isolated-word recognizers into battle
management environments. In one feasibility study speech recognition equipment was
tested in conjunction with an integrated information display for naval battle management
applications. Users were very optimistic about the potential of the system, although
capabilities were limited.
Speech understanding programs sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects
Agency (DARPA) in the U.S. has focused on this problem of natural speech interface.
Speech recognition efforts have focused on a database of continuous speech recognition
(CSR), large-vocabulary speech which is designed to be representative of the naval
resource management task. Significant advances in the state-of-the-art in CSR have been
achieved, and current efforts are focused on integrating speech recognition and natural
language processing to allow spoken language interaction with a naval resource
management system.
Training air traffic controllers
Training for air traffic controllers (ATC) represents an excellent application for speech
recognition systems. Many ATC training systems currently require a person to act as a
"pseudo-pilot", engaging in a voice dialog with the trainee controller, which simulates the
dialog which the controller would have to conduct with pilots in a real ATC situation.
Speech recognition and synthesis techniques offer the potential to eliminate the need for a
person to act as pseudo-pilot, thus reducing training and support personnel. In theory, Air
controller tasks are also characterized by highly structured speech as the primary output
of the controller, hence reducing the difficulty of the speech recognition task should be
possible. In practice this is rarely the case. The FAA document 7110.65 details the
phrases that should be used by air traffic controllers. While this document gives less than