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    Is Siri capable of lip-reading? Apple is optimistic

    Siri, the virtual assistant developed by Apple, is continuously advancing and enhancing its capabilities. Over time, Siri has shown improvement in accurately interpreting voice instructions, even in noisy environments. Could Siri potentially possess the ability to interpret lip movements as well?

    An emerging patent application filed by Apple hints at the possibility of Siri acquiring this functionality in the future. The patent application outlines a system that would employ a camera to track the movements of an individual’s lips and then utilize artificial intelligence to translate these movements into spoken words.

    Implementing Motion Detection for Recognizing Keywords

    Apple recognizes the limitations of existing speech recognition technologies like Siri. Other sensors, which depend on voice capture, often drain significant battery power and computational resources and can be impacted by background noise. In the envisioned system, the camera in the smartphone would not be utilized for lip-reading. Instead, the motion sensors of the device would monitor motions produced by the user’s lips, neck, or head, with the system analyzing the data to determine if they correspond to human speech. The title of the patent application is “Keyword Detection Using Motion Sensing.”

    (Image credit)

    The patent proposes the integration of these sensors with accelerometers and gyroscopes, which are less vulnerable to external interference compared to microphones. According to the patent, this motion-sensing technology could be integrated into AirPods or even “intelligent glasses,” with the data being sent to the user’s iPhone. The system would possess the capacity to detect subtle facial, neck, or head motions. Despite Apple scaling back its aspirations for smart glasses, the company remains optimistic about its Vision Pro headset.

    Although the patent application does not specify when or if Apple intends to introduce this technology to the market, it highlights Apple’s continual pursuit of enhancing Siri’s capabilities.

    There are numerous potential advantages associated with having a lip-reading Siri. Primarily, it would enable Siri to comprehend individuals even when they are wearing masks or are in noisy environments. This feature would be particularly beneficial in challenging speaking scenarios, such as in crowded spaces or during driving. Additionally, a lip-reading Siri could improve the accuracy of Siri’s voice recognition. By observing lip movements, the AI could better interpret the spoken words.

    Nevertheless, there are also obstacles that need to be overcome before a lip-reading Siri can be fully realized. A significant challenge lies in the inherent inaccuracy of lip-reading due to the various ways words can be pronounced. Another challenge involves the complexity of lip-reading in noisy surroundings, as the AI would be required to impeccably differentiate lip movements from background noise.

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    We thank you for being a reader of Ghacks. The article “Is Siri capable of lip-reading? Apple thinks so” was initially published on gHacks Technology News.

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