Distance metric for speech commands of dysarthric users in smart home systems

Abstract

Chronic neuromuscular diseases often cause dysarthria (speech distortions, impaired articulation, etc.), that becomes more severe over time. This aspect of the disease represents a serious problem in voice-controlled smart home systems. Medical research suggests that some speech features are impaired considerably, while others remain relatively unharmed. Therefore, it is possible to create a distance metric based on medical data that measures difference between two speech commands in a dysarthria-specific way: the contribution of various features to the distance is based on the extent of dysarthric impairment. Specifying a minimal distance between speech commands contributes to a more effective recognition during later stages of the disease.