Developments for the Disabled-And the winner is . . . . VOICEITT

The Wall Street Journal Live Audience favors an Israeli startup!

Voice-Translation Technology Talkitt Aims to Help People With Disabilities Better Communicate

VoiceItt for Disabilities – Let your voice be heard

Voiceitt, an Israeli startup developing voice-translation technology for the disabled, was picked as the audience favorite at a startup showcase Tuesday at the WSJD Live global technology conference.

The company’s translation app, Talkitt, is being tested and is expected to be released in the second quarter of next year, according to Rabea Ziuod, Voiceitt’s vice president for business development in the Middle East and North Africa. It will enter a field where a number of technologies aim to help people with disabilities better communicate with others.

Mr. Ziuod, an Israeli Arab from Tel Aviv, has a personal stake in the success of the technology: two of his five siblings have cerebral palsy and struggle with their speech. “My vision is to bridge the gap between people with disabilities and their communities,” he said.

A video of the app in action shows a boy struggling to say “I love you,” and the app translating his words into intelligible speech. The app works by learning the user’s speech patterns, and Voiceitt hopes it will work for suffers of ALS, autism, Parkinson’s disease and other conditions.

The company has raised $25,000 on Indiegogo and has additional funding from the Israeli government, Mr. Ziuod said.

SOURCE:
http://online.wsj.com/articles/voiceitt-is-chosen-audience-favorite-at-wsjd-live-startup-showcase-1414596993