Simultaneous Speech Subtitling Systems for Multiple Speakers

Abstract

This research is about the User Interface of subtitle displaying for the situation such as meetings or workshops, that plural speakers talk at the same time. A visual approach such as note-taking, sign language, is commonly used to support hearing-impaired person. Meanwhile, even with that kind of visual assistance, a hearing-impaired person still might not be able to get enough information in the situation plural speakers talk at the same time. To improve that problem, some assistance such as sending materials beforehand, the facilitator controlling the number of speakers, are offered occasionally. However, not all cases have that assistance as it requires human resources. A tool that makes a hearing-impaired person be able to have an equal opportunity to get information visually as a hearing person gets it aurally, is necessary. During this research, a system was developed to assist the hearing-impaired people in the situations plural speakers talk in parallel such as conferences or group workings when hearing-impaired people and hearing people participate together. This system dictates voices talked in that situation and displays dictated texts. The developed system was validated with the corporation of hearing-impaired people and hearing people.