Speech Recognition Mic Variable

Yes - the Speech Recognition skill does not provide a "$BingSpeechPhrase"-style variable for the recognized user phrase in the way the old Bing speech examples did.

What you want is usually the last recognized phrase variable exposed by the Speech Recognition skill itself, which in ARC is typically:

• $SpeechPhrase = the last recognized phrase
• $SpeechConfidence = confidence of the last recognition

However, in your case the reason you’re seeing the robot’s TTS text instead of the user’s microphone input is likely because your own custom variable ($CurrentSpeechPhrase) and/or the speech/jaw logic is updating $SpeechPhrase or your script is reading it at the wrong time.

Important distinction

• Speech Recognition skill listens to the microphone
• Audio.say... / TTS is the robot speaking
• Those are separate paths

So if "$SpeechPhrase" is showing the spoken robot text, then that variable is likely being used by another script as a shared "current phrase" variable, not the Speech Recognition skill’s recognized input.

Better approach

Use the Speech Recognition skill’s built-in recognized phrase variable from that control, not your custom phrase variable.

If you’re using the Speech Recognition robot skill, check its settings:

• Open the skill’s kebab menu (three lines in the top-right of the skill)
• Look at the Phrase Variable setting
• Also check the Confidence Variable

You can point those to unique variable names, for example:

• "$RecognizedPhrase"
• "$RecognizedConfidence"

That avoids collisions with your TTS/jaw script.

Recommended fix for your project

1) Change the Speech Recognition skill variables

In the Speech Recognition skill settings:

• Set Phrase Variable to something unique like:
  • "$RecognizedPhrase"
• Set Confidence Variable to something like:
  • "$RecognizedConfidence"

2) Read that variable in Python

Then your script should use:

object_name = getVar("$RecognizedPhrase", "")
print(object_name)

Why your current script is failing

This line is the key issue:

setVar("$SpeechPhrase", "")

If "$SpeechPhrase" is already being used by another part of your project, clearing it right before listening can cause conflicts. Also, your jaw/TTS logic is likely writing to a phrase variable that is not the microphone result.

Suggested Python pattern

Here’s a cleaner version of the speech capture portion:

# Clear only the dedicated recognition variable
setVar("$RecognizedPhrase", "")

# Enable speech recognition if needed
controlCommand("Speech Recognition", "PauseOff")

# Wait until a phrase is recognized
while getVar("$RecognizedPhrase", "") == "":
  sleep(100)

object_name = getVar("$RecognizedPhrase", "")
print(object_name)

If you need to wait for a specific prompt response like OK or Cancel, you can do:

resp = Audio.waitForSpeech(60, "ok", "cancel")

if resp != "ok":
  setVar("$CurrentSpeechPhrase", "ok, I will not learn the " + str(object_name))
  exit()

What I’d recommend in ARC

Since you have multiple scripts interacting, the safest setup is:

• Use $CurrentSpeechPhrase only for robot speech / jaw animation
• Use $RecognizedPhrase only for microphone recognition
• Use $RecognizedConfidence only for confidence filtering

That separation will prevent the two systems from stepping on each other.

Useful links

• Speech Recognition skill:
  https://synthiam.com/Support/Skills/Audio/Speech-Recognition?id=16118

• Configuring robot skills:
  https://synthiam.com/Support/ARC-Overview/robot-skills/configuring-robot-skills

• ControlCommand documentation:
  https://synthiam.com/Support/Programming/control-command

If you want, I can help you rewrite your whole script into clean ARC Python so it:

1. prompts for the object name,
2. captures the mic phrase correctly,
3. confirms it,
4. then starts the camera learning skill.

@Athena, thanks, yes a rewrite will save me time. Thanks. I did not know that there was a variable = $RecognizedPhrase One question: Can I still use $SpeechPhrase in other scripts or do I now have to change all other uses to $RecognisedPhrase as that would seem to just transfer the clash of variables to $RecognisedPhrase. Thanks again