Windows Speech Recognition skill: detect custom phrases via PC mic, trigger configurable scripts/actions with adjustable confidence.
How to add the Speech Recognition robot skill
- Load the most recent release of ARC (Get ARC).
- Press the Project tab from the top menu bar in ARC.
- Press Add Robot Skill from the button ribbon bar in ARC.
- Choose the Audio category tab.
- Press the Speech Recognition icon to add the robot skill to your project.
Don't have a robot yet?
Follow the Getting Started Guide to build a robot and use the Speech Recognition robot skill.
How to use the Speech Recognition robot skill
The Speech Recognition robot skill uses the built-in Microsoft Windows Speech Recognition Engine to listen for known phrases using your computer’s default audio input device (microphone). Phrases are configured manually in the Settings, and each phrase can trigger a custom action using scripts and commands.
Most robots generate significant noise from motors, servos, fans, and room echo. Because of this, placing the microphone on the robot is often impractical. For best results, place the microphone on the controlling PC/laptop, on yourself, or elsewhere in the room closer to your mouth and farther from the robot. Increasing microphone gain can help detect speech across larger rooms, but it also increases false positives, so keeping the microphone closer to your mouth is ideal. A headset or Bluetooth microphone will generally provide far better results than a built-in laptop microphone.
Main Window
1. Pause Button
Pauses audio detection. While paused, the skill will not recognize phrases and no configured actions will execute.
2. Phrase List Button
Opens the phrase list configured in the Settings. This allows you to quickly review what phrases the skill is currently listening for.
3. Audio Waveform
Displays live audio waveform feedback to confirm your microphone is configured correctly and actively receiving sound.
4. Response Display
Shows detection and execution feedback. When a phrase is recognized, the log will display the matched phrase (and confidence),
along with the action/script that was executed.
Settings
1. Confidence Drop-down
Sets the minimum confidence required for a phrase to be accepted. Phrases detected below this threshold are ignored.
If your phrases are not being detected reliably, reduce the confidence setting. When a phrase is detected, the confidence value
appears in brackets in the Response Display.
Note: Lower confidence thresholds increase the chance of false positives.
2. Setup Microphone Button
Opens the Windows microphone device properties dialog. Use this to verify the correct input device is selected and to confirm the audio meter responds when you speak.
3. Recognition Scripts
Scripts that run when a phrase is recognized at or above the confidence level (All Recognized),
and when a phrase is detected with low confidence. These are useful for logging, diagnostics,
or responding differently based on recognition quality.
4. Enable / Disable Phrase Fields
Phrases used to pause and unpause speech detection. These act as voice-controlled toggles for enabling or disabling recognition.
5. Enable / Disable Command Scripts
The scripts executed when the Enable/Disable phrases are recognized. This is commonly used to control robot behavior
such as entering a “listening mode” or disabling speech during loud activities.
6. Language Drop-down
ARC uses the speech recognition capabilities built into Windows. Any language supported by Windows Speech Recognition is also supported by ARC.
ARC will default to EN-US if installed, otherwise it will use the first installed language that supports speech recognition.
If multiple supported languages are installed, select the desired language here.
For more information on installing additional speech recognition languages, view:
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/120631-change-speech-recognition-language-windows-10-a.html
Here is how to add a new language pack:
- Go to Start and open Settings.
- Select Time & language > Language.
- Select the language you want to add speech to, then select the Next button.
- Select the speech options you want included with the language.
- Sign out and sign back in for the new speech pack to be added to speech options.
- Go back to Settings > Time & language > Language, select your new language, and move it to the top to make it default.
- Go to Speech and ensure the Speech language setting matches your new default language.
- Sign out and sign back in for the new settings to take effect.
- Select the desired language from the ARC Speech Recognition configuration menu.
7. Confidence Variable
The variable that stores the confidence value (decimal format) of the last recognized phrase.
8. Phrase Variable
The variable that stores the text of the last recognized phrase.
9. Phrase List
The list of phrases to recognize. You can customize the defaults and add additional phrases.
10. Command List
The command/action corresponding to each phrase in the same row. You can customize commands and add additional rows.
11. List Management Buttons
Buttons for managing phrase rows: move up/down, insert, append, and delete.
How to Use Speech Recognition
- Install, configure, and test your audio input device (see Resources below).
-
Add the Speech Recognition skill to your ARC project:
Project → Add Skill → Audio → Speech Recognition.
Note: This is different from Advanced Speech Recognition. - In Settings, configure your phrases and the corresponding commands/scripts.
- Save your settings, then speak your configured phrases into the microphone to trigger the actions.
Requirements
Headset or External Mic
A headset or external microphone produces better results than a built-in PC/laptop microphone. It helps the recognition engine capture your voice clearly with less background noise. Laptop fans, motors, radio interference, and room echo can cause false positives (the skill recognizes an incorrect phrase). An external mic also helps prevent the speech engine from hearing the robot’s own speaker output.
Resources
Configure Audio Input Device
You may need to adjust your microphone input volume/gain. Use the Windows Volume Mixer and ensure you have selected the correct input device. Some systems have multiple microphones (for example: webcam microphone, headset microphone, Bluetooth microphone). Follow these steps:
- Right-click the speaker icon in the system tray.
- Select Open Sound Settings.
- In the Input section, confirm the correct microphone is selected and that the VU meter moves when you speak.
- Click Device Properties and adjust the volume slider. We often use a value around 78, but your setup may differ.
- Adjust volume so normal speech peaks near the middle of the VU meter. If the gain is too high, audio distorts and recognition quality drops.
Voice Training
You can train Windows Speech Recognition using the built-in training wizard. Open the Windows Control Panel, search for Speech Recognition, and run the training wizard to improve accuracy for your voice.
Troubleshooting
- If you receive an error that the input device could not be opened, Windows privacy/security settings may be blocking microphone access for Synthiam ARC. Follow this guide to enable microphone access: https://synthiam.com/Support/troubleshooting/camera-audio-microphone-issues .
-
If you receive an error stating Voice Recognition was unable to start (invalid OS or missing device), verify:
- A microphone is set as the default recording device in Windows sound settings.
- A Windows language pack is installed that supports Windows Speech Recognition.
To confirm Windows Speech Recognition is working, open the built-in Windows Speech Recognition application: click the Start button and type Speech Recognition. Launch Windows Speech Recognition to verify your microphone, operating system, and language support. This Microsoft tool includes diagnostic dialogs that ARC does not provide.
Video
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Hi, can anyone tell me how to change the language in speech recognition? I have installed 'Cantonese,' but I can't find it in the dropdown menu. Am I missing any steps in the process?
You can read the manual above rather than repeating it here. There's a whole section on selecting the language and what languages are supported. Scroll up to the menu
Hi DJ,
How are you?
Perhaps, I haven't explained my question clearly. I have successfully installed some languages in the drop-down menu of "Speech Recognition," but I am facing issues with the "Cantonese" language. Despite checking and installing all the features for Cantonese, it still does not appear in the drop-down menu. Is there something missing? I apologize for any inconvenience and misunderstanding.:)
Is it possible the name for Cantonese could be listed as something else in the drop down? I found this about other names for Cantonese:
Hi Dave,
Thank you for your message!
In Microsoft, only "zh-HK" is recognized as Cantonese, and the voice setting should be selected as "Tracy." It works seamlessly with "AI Chat GPT" and "Bing Speech Recognition" in ARC program. Then, I have installed all the Cantonese features, but for some reason, it does not appear in the drop-down menu in the Speech Recognition settings. I'm wondering if it is not supported in this application?
Those are voices, not speech recognition. Voices are the sounds made to speak. So you can select Tracy from the list of voices and speak. But those are not speech recognition.
The window you want looks like this..
I used google to find this for you: www.tenforums.com/tutorials/120631-change-speech-recognition-language-windows-10-a.html
Thank you DJ, Cantonese does not appear in the drop-down menu of "Speech Recognition" in my Windows 11. It should not be supported! However, I use Cantonese dictation for the text box in Windows 11, and it can recognize Cantonese. Therefore, I assumed that Cantonese Speech Recognition has been installed. Anyway, thanks for your help! Cantonese Dictation