Prof. Roger K. Moore

PRESENCE is a new architecture for speech-based interaction that is founded on the premise that future progress depends, not on how to "bridge the gap" between speech science and speech technology, but on both communities seeking to assimilate wider research findings on the behaviour of living systems in general and the cognitive abilities of human beings in particular.  PRESENCE intentionally blurs the distinction between the core components of a traditional spoken language dialogue system and, as a result, cooperative and communicative behaviour emerges as a by-product of an architecture that is founded on a model of co-action in which the system has in mind the needs and intentions of a user, and a user has in mind the needs and intentions of the system.  MORE >>

In pursuing PRESENCE-based approaches to modelling spoken language, I've become increasingly drawn into studying vocalisation in general, whether it is performed by human beings, animals or robots.  I'm currently developing synthesisers for mammalian, insect and dolphin vocalisations, and embedding them in behavioural simulations implemented in Pure Data and in real-time embodiments using e-puck, Create and RoboKind robots.  My aim is to demonstrate that many of the little-understood paralinguistic features exhibited in human speech (including emotion) are derived from characteristics that are shared by living systems in general.  Modelling such behaviours in this wider context should eventually enable us to implement usable and effective interaction with artificial intentional agents such as robots.  MORE >>

Whilst there is considerable interest in the possibility of people interacting with ‘intelligent’ agents for a wide range of applications, as yet there is no underpinning science as to how create such artefacts to ensure that they are capable of providing an effective and sustainable interaction.  This is especially true in the case of human-robot interaction where the look, sound and behaviour of a robot may not be consistent - a situation that can trigger feelings of eeriness and repulsion in the users.  I have developed the first mathematical model of this so-called ‘uncanny valley’ affect (published in Nature), and I am currently investigating the implications for designing autonomous social agents (such as robots) whose visual, vocal, cognitive and behavioural ‘affordances’ are appropriate to the role for which they are designed.  MORE >>

One of the areas in which advanced speech technology algorithms can really make a difference to people is in situations where individuals have serious difficulties in hearing or speaking.  The Sheffield Speech and Hearing group has a long history of research in this area, and has devoted significant effort to developing assistive technology that is tailored to the needs of specific individuals, such as dysarthric speakers with cerebral palsy or laryngectomy patients.  My research is focused on the development of low-dimensionality speech synthesis and how to optimise real-time control for users with severe motor impairment.  I’m currently working on an articulatory synthesiser (based on an acoustic waveguide model of the human vocal tract) which incorporates a novel, yet anatomically parsimonious, tongue.

The use of technology to manipulate and alter human or machine voices interest me greatly, and I’m particularly keen to use such techniques to create voices for animated agents and robots that are ‘appropriate’ to their visual and behavioural affordances.  I'm also becoming increasingly involved in using such manipulations to explore more creative possibilities, and I’ve recently enjoyed very productive interactions with colleagues from the performing arts.  In particular I work closely with Dr. Chris Newell based at the University of Hull.  As well as pursuing various collaborative projects, Chris and I are slowly compiling a book entitled The Art of Artificial Voices in which we explore the creative uses of spoken language from both the technological and the performance perspectives.  MORE >>

Having been actively involved in speech technology R&D for over four decades, I’m often called upon to deliver my personal perspective on the progress that’s been made in the past and the prospects we’re likely to witness in the years to come. In order to inform these views, I’ve not only conducted a number of surveys of the speech technology R&D community, but I’ve also exploited the ability of my Human Equivalent Noise Ratio (HENR) model to extrapolate automatic speech recogniser performance into the future.  In addition, I maintain a timeline of significant historical events in our field (including some infamous quotations and notable predictions) which it is hoped will provide a useful resource for students and researchers interested in learning how the speech technology field has developed over the years.  MORE >>