A toolkit for exploring the role of voice in human-robot interaction

Abstract

This paper describes an open source speech translator toolkit created as part of the "Survivor Buddy" project which allows written or spoken word from multiple independent controllers to be translated into either a single synthetic voice, synthetic voices for each controller, or unchanged natural voice of each controller. The human controllers can work over the internet or be physically co-located with the Survivor Buddy. The toolkit is expected to be of use for exploring voice in general human-robot interaction.