The first speech recognizer appeared in 1952 and consisted of a device for the recognition of single spoken digits.There are many domains for the commercial application of speech recognition for example:
- Health care – for converting voice-recorded reports as dictated by physicians and/or other healthcare professionals, into text format; medical analysis of voice problems.
- Military - speech recognizers have been operated successfully in fighter aircraft, with applications including: setting radio frequencies, commanding an autopilot system, setting steer-point coordinates and weapons release parameters, and controlling flight displays.
- Telephony - speech recognition is used mostly as a part of the user interface, for creating pre-defined or custom speech commands.
Scientists have attempted to simulate human speech since the late 1700s, when Wolfgang von Kempelen built a “speaking machine”. By the 1970s digital computing enabled the first generation of modern teach-to-speech systems with fairly wide use.
Speech synthesis is now an assistive technology tool which use is significant and widespread. The use of it includes delivery of up-to-the-minute news, reading machines for handicapped, automotive voice controls and retrieving email over the phone – or any systems where the vocabulary is large, the content changes frequently or unpredictable, and a visual display isn’t practical.
Speech synthesis techniques are also used in entertainment productions such as games and animations.