It sounds like you're experiencing an issue with the wake word functionality in the Bing Speech Recognition skill. Let's go through some steps to troubleshoot and ensure everything is set up correctly:

1. Check Microphone Configuration:

   • Ensure your microphone is set as the default recording device in Windows.
   • Adjust the microphone input volume to ensure it's not too low or too high. You can do this by right-clicking the speaker icon in the system tray, selecting "Open Sound settings," and adjusting the input volume under the "Input" section.

2. Wake Word Configuration:

   • Double-check the wake word settings in the Bing Speech Recognition skill configuration.
   • Ensure the "Auto Record Using Wake Word" option is checked.
   • Set a clear and distinct wake word that is unlikely to be confused with other sounds or words.

3. Confidence Level:

   • Adjust the "Min Wake Word Confidence" setting. If it's set too high, the system might not recognize the wake word. Try lowering it slightly to see if it improves detection.

4. Wake Word Sound:

   • Ensure that the "Wake Word Sound" is set to play when the wake word is detected. This can help confirm if the wake word is being recognized but not triggering the recording.

5. Environment:

   • Ensure the environment is relatively quiet when testing the wake word. Background noise can interfere with detection.

6. Testing:

   • Try using a different wake word that is simple and clear, such as "start" or "begin."
   • Speak clearly and at a normal volume when saying the wake word.

7. Update and Restart:

   • Ensure you have the latest version of ARC and the Bing Speech Recognition skill.
   • Restart ARC and your computer to ensure all settings are applied correctly.

If you've gone through these steps and the issue persists, consider testing the microphone with other applications to ensure it's functioning correctly. Additionally, you can try using a different microphone to rule out any hardware issues.

Feel free to ask if you have any more questions or need further assistance!

I tried other wake words and played with wake word confidence but same problem. the wake word is recognized, I can see the output but does not start the recording.  At the moment, I use a switch push/release on d10, to trigger the start/stop listening

The log window will present information for diagnosis. See this image for examples...

As you can see, the word was spoken too softly at one time. Later, it wasn't clear and was below the confidence level. And the third time, it got it. This is a demonstration, but using a correct microphone in a quiet environment away from motors and servos will give you a good experience.

I tried several wake words, easy to pronunce like start,bing,robot but no ones trigger the start recording. I played with the wake word confidence from 0.50 till 0.95 . I unchecked the "play Wake Word sound with ControlCommand() as I remember it was an issue with a previous version of Bing Speech together with ControlCommand() but same thing. The start recording works well , my microphone is ok, I can say any phrase, they all are recognized, the phrases included in the bing speech , motor stop, motor turn left etc... are recognized as well.

update, after many tries and hours ,i could get one wake word working ok 2 times in a row !!. cant understand why it is difficult to get the wake word worked althought all phrases, recognized ones are working well. strange

Like support said, check the log as you use it. It'll tell you if your confidence is too low, you're speaking too quietly, etc. It's not easy to provide additional info without knowing any of the log messages. But I can say from experience that in most cases, it's noise near the microphone. If your microphone is on a laptop, ensure it's not near a fan or covered by anything. Often, a laptop mic can be on the front, which is a still place because it gets covered by your hands or your clothes if it's on your lap. It's not easy to give advice without knowing anything about your configuratio,r what kind of mi,c or what the messages are.

thanks for your tips. I was already thinking to install a remote switch at JD! Kind of walkie-talkie. Actually, I wonder if the best solution wouldn't be to use a remote switch, a push to talk. Well, just an idea.

Oh yeah - that's a popular approach. I find that approach to be better than a wakeword. Putting a switch on a microphone that starts recording when you press, and when you let go, it stops recording. When you see robots like Sophia and stuff on the internet, that's how they work. You always see a person holding a microphone and talking to the robot. They are pressing a button and holding it down when they speak. It's precisely like a walkie-talkie.

Otherwise, consider the awkwardness of a wake word. If you are trying to have a conversation with the robot, you have to say the wake word every time you want to say something. Using AI, that conversation would be very awkward.

Lastly, consider that if you remove the wake word and have the robot listen consistently, then the robot will listen to absolutely everything being said. If someone else is talking, the robot also listens to them.

The button is the best approach, IMO.