Industrial voice control
Würzburg engineering company develops voice input system
MGA Ingenieurdienstleistungen GmbH sees a gap in the market for user-friendly voice control of industrial machinery. The Würzburg-based company is therefore currently developing a market-driven solution.
Voice control systems are becoming increasingly widespread in the private sphere. Siri, Alexa & Co. not only answer questions of all kinds, but also control all kinds of devices in the home comfort zone. What has already conquered a market as a "smart home" is still the exception when it comes to controlling industrial machinery.
The specialists want to change this. Managing Director Lorenz Arnold and his team are currently working on developing a voice input system for machine control systems that is as convenient as possible. The aim of the Würzburg-based company is to create an affordable "mainstream solution" that can be used in as many industries as possible. Project manager Marius Ritter, who has been in charge of developing the module since the beginning of April, sees the main advantage of voice input systems as the high level of flexibility for the user: "You can move around independently and have both hands free."
Voice control is ideal for industries with higher hygiene standards, such as food processing or the production of medicines. It can also make work easier for people with physical disabilities. Above all, however, the solution is a convenience feature that makes machines more competitive.
Fade out background noise
An important factor is that the background noise in a production hall must not affect functionality. Speech recognition is tricky. Due to the different dialects and colorations, the German language in particular is a real challenge. "The voice input system is therefore always about avoiding linguistic misunderstandings. A good solution has to work flawlessly," says Marius Ritter. For example, the currently widespread communication when wearing a face mask will also have to be taken into account. The prototype should be ready in the fall. dsc
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