Motor neurone disease is a rare, crippling condition that progressively robs people of the ability to move, eat, drink and, eventually, speak. While scientists haven’t discovered a cure yet, technology can help those living with the disease
Intel, Dell Technologies, Rolls-Royce and the Motor Neurone Disease Association are announcing ‘I Will Always Be Me’, a digital storybook created using voice banking technology that drives positive change for people with motor neurone disease (MND), also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Motor neurone disease is a rare, crippling condition that progressively robs people of the ability to move, eat, drink and, eventually, speak. While scientists haven’t discovered a cure yet, technology can help those living with the disease.
‘I Will Always Be Me’ is an interactive website created for people living with MND. Anyone can visit to record their voice by reading a 1,000-word story aloud in a process that takes about 20 minutes. The book contains critical words and phrases needed to complete the voice banking process. The processed vocals are turned into a digital voice that individuals living with MND can use on any assistive speech device, allowing an individual to communicate with a voice that is identifiably their own. Visitors to the website can also listen to stories about the complexity and challenges of living with MND as told through the voices of people living with MND.
Prior to this project, the process of recording a voice would usually take place in a clinical setting, which can be physically difficult for individuals with MND to get to and is an emotionally solitary experience. This digital storybook allows them to record their voice from any device at home, surrounded by family.
Intel teams provided expertise across multiple areas, including shaping the site’s user experience and accessibility. Intel-based servers also provide the computing power required to analyse, process and digitise a voice.
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