This Google app makes people with speech problems easier to understand

Google is working on a new app that will help people with speech problems to make themselves understood more easily. The ‘Relate’ app understands what the user is saying and Google repeats the message with the Assistant’s voice.

Google Relate

During an online event with worldwide press, Google gave us a glimpse into the development of an app called Relate. The app uses artificial intelligence to understand people with speech problems and then read the message clearly.

Relate comes with three functions: ‘listen’, ‘repeat’ and the ‘Assistant’. The listening section actually works with an advanced speech-to-text algorithm that correctly interprets the difficult-to-understand message. The technology adapts to the specific way each user talks. The repeat function works differently as it is a speech-to-speech model. The message that was previously converted to text is now repeated by Google’s voice.

Controlling the Google Assistant

Finally, there is the Assistant function. The Relate app allows users to talk directly to Google’s smart assistant, for example to control nearby smart home devices. The Assistant Google sees as an important feature for the future and it wants as many users as possible to get started with it.

At the moment, Google Relate is still in development and the company also made it clear that the feature will be the first to work with English. However, the company does have the ambition to let Relate also work with other languages. It is not yet known when that will be the case.

People with speech problems can also get started today with the Talkie app from the Dutch developer Erwin Oudshoorn. The text-to-speech app was recently improved with a new soundboard that allows you to communicate faster.