Voice Activity Detection

How to use the Voice Activity Detection robot skill

The Voice Activity Detector robot skill is designed to detect when speech begins and ends in real time. It processes audio input, identifying periods of active speech and silence. This skill is perfect for robots that need to respond dynamically to human speech.

Key Features:

• Speech Detection:
  • Detects when speech starts (Speech Begin) and stops (Speech End).
• Customizable Actions:
  • Allows users to attach custom scripts that execute automatically when speech starts or stops. For example, you can trigger robot movements, lights, or other interactions based on speech activity.
• Real-Time Audio Visualization:
  • Displays a live graph of the detected speech level, giving a visual representation of the audio activity.
• Adjustable Sensitivity:
  • Includes settings to fine-tune detection parameters, such as silence thresholds, for optimal performance in various environments.

Practical Applications:

• Interactive Robots:
  • Enable your robot to react to speech dynamically, such as greeting people when they start talking or pausing when they stop.
• Hands-Free Control:
  • Use speech detection to trigger actions without needing additional input devices.
• Speech Analysis:
  • Visualize audio levels for debugging or fine-tuning robot behavior in different environments.

This robot skill combines robust speech detection with seamless integration into Synthiam ARC, empowering your robot to understand better and respond to its surroundings!

Main Window

Voice Detected The graph will display green when the voice is detected, and the voice start script will be executed.

Voice Not Detected The display will be red when a human voice is absent, and the voice end script will execute.

Pause You can pause the detection of speech by pressing the pause checkbox on the main form. The PAUSE is also enabled when any of the Audio.say() scripting commands are used and unpaused when the speaking has been completed. This ensures the VAD does not detect the robot speaking and triggers a false positive.

Configuration Window

Voice Start Script This is a script that will be executed when the VAD detects speech.

Voice Stop Script This script will be executed when the VAD detects silence after speech.

Why Use This Skill?

• Improved Speech Detection:
  • The VAD robot skill provides robust, configurable detection of speech, reducing false positives caused by background noise.
• Resource Efficiency:
  • Running speech recognition or other resource-intensive skills only during active speech saves computational power and prevents unnecessary processing.
• Enhanced Interaction:
  • Enables your robot to respond naturally to speech, creating a more interactive and intuitive user experience.

This robot skill is a powerful tool for integrating reliable voice activity detection into your projects, providing the flexibility and control needed to create intelligent, speech-responsive robots.