NCJ Number
217962
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 34 Issue: 3 Dated: March 2007 Pages: 76,78,81
Date Published
March 2007
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Recent advances in voice-recognition technologies have made it possible for emergency workers to use a speech-enabled data retrieval and submission system that leaves their hands and eyes free to focus on other tasks.
Abstract
The reason emergency workers have not made more frequent use of speech-based systems for data retrieval and the filing of reports is the number of technological hurdles that have impeded efforts to implement such systems. These hurdles include application development, user interface development, and environmental challenges. There are software tools that streamline the coding process and provide automated development and trouble shooting for interactions between information systems and speech-recognition engines. These developments increase the speed of the conversion process for speech-enabling information systems. Since reliable speech-based systems are still in the introductory market phase, voice user interfaces (VUIs) have yet to be perfected for field use. Many years of experience with speech-recognition applications in a variety of settings, including millions of telephone-based interactions with a diverse user base, have made it possible to codify best practices for building, testing, and refining VUIs. Although VUIs still require feedback from emergency professionals in the field in order to maximize performance, existing systems are sufficiently reliable to be used in real-life scenarios without jeopardizing the user's safety. Integrated voice-enabled capability is particularly valuable in the mobile environments of law enforcement personnel. The ability to use voice rather than a keyboard to enter and access data makes the VideoWitness Patrol Car System (Vanguard Voice AccuSPEECH technology) the ideal solution for smaller law enforcement agencies.