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Voice response and recognition The idea of voice communica- tion between man and compu- ter has been popular for some time now. Holding back its de- velopment has been the cost of research, and a lack of practical applications. Now a reasonably priced voice recognition and response system is being actively mar- keted by Votan, its developer. Votan sees applications for its system in the health service, for patient status and medicine in- ventory systems; in transport, giving central information for arrival and departure of buses or trains -even issuing tickets eventually; and in applications where voice verification might be useful, such as personal banking. An order entry system is now being set up on an IBM person- al computer. The customer speaks by telephone directly to the computer, which can ask and record order information, such as what, how much, when, and then issue invoices and update the stock files. The V5000 system, which cost &4000 in the UK, recog- nizes single words, responds in what the company calls a ‘natu- ral nonrobotic sound’, and can store and forward messages. Because it can work in noisy environments up to 100 dB, the system is suitable for noisy cockpits of jets or helicopters, It is l~~age-~de~ndent, because it is not based on phonemes, which are groups of sounds which are variants of one sound in one language. Because of the variety of possible applications, most customers take one machine to experiment with initially, and built it into their own systems, by producing interfaces to their own applications. Votan is working on con- tinuous speech recognition, voice verification and indepen- dent speech recognition, so that any voice can be under- stood, rather than having to train the machine to one voice at a time. Although Votan would also like to extend the vocabulary from the present 2.50 words, the memory would need expanding to an extent that can only be achieved by implementing different (e.g. bubble) technology. In the UK the systems are being demonstrated and sold by Voice Input. (Votan, 4487 Technology Drive, Fremont CA 94538, USA. Tel: (41.5) 490 7600. Voice Input Ltd, The Quay, St Ives, Cambs., UK. Tel:~O480~30~8S~.~ q Micro from Honeywell Honeywell has finahy launched its own microcomputer. The microsystem 6110 is software Making conversation with an IBM PC. throueha Votan 5000. Honqrwell micro with 20 Mbyte hard disc drive. compatible with Honeywell’s 32 bit minicomputers, with additional networking and per- sonal computing features. It ‘bridges the gap between single user personal computers with limited networking capabilities and more powerful mini- computers that operate in a dis- tributed systems enviro~ent’ said Richard Douglas, vice president of US marketing and services. As well as the Honeywell DPS 6 operating system, the micros will run under MS- DOS and CPM as an added option. On the hardware side the system has 128 kbyte RAM, a 12in monitor and keyboard. One or two floppy disc drives, and a 20 Mbyte Winchester drive are allowed. There are two asynchronous ports with a further optional synchronous port. Other options include an integrated modem with auto- matic dialling, and up to 512 kbyte main memory. Three printers are to be offered in- itially, one letter quality and two matrix. With a single diskette drive and 128 kbyte of memory the system will sell in the USA for $3995. For two diskette drives and 512 kbyte memory the price will be $5495. Adding a fixed disc increases the price to $9995. The personal comput- ing option, allowing MS/DOS, CPfM and GW BASIC to be used costs an extra $875. Printers are also extra. ~~~e~l fn- formation Systems, 200 Smith Street, MS 486, Waltham, MA 02154, USA. Tel: (617) 895 3658.) q System/34 upgrade from IBM The upgrade from the IBM System34 has been announced as the System36. In line with IBM strategy, the new system has more applications prog- ramming than previous small systems. The System/36 has main storage of 128 kbyte, 256 kbyte, 384 kbyte or 512 kbyte. Disc capacity ranges from 30 Mbyte to 400 Mbyte. At max- imum this is twice the main storage and one and a half times the direct access storage avail- able on the Systemi34. The system is menu-driven, and is aimed at both first time and experienced users. High- level languages include RPG II, COBOL, BASIC and FOR- TRAN. An assembler can also be used. Most devices which can be attached to the System34 can be used on the System/M, in- cluding the Personal Compu- ter. System36s can be used in standalone mode, or in a net- work of processors. Up to 30 local and 64 remote work- 46 data processing

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Voice response and recognition

The idea of voice communica- tion between man and compu- ter has been popular for some time now. Holding back its de- velopment has been the cost of research, and a lack of practical applications.

Now a reasonably priced voice recognition and response system is being actively mar- keted by Votan, its developer. Votan sees applications for its system in the health service, for patient status and medicine in- ventory systems; in transport, giving central information for arrival and departure of buses or trains -even issuing tickets eventually; and in applications where voice verification might be useful, such as personal banking.

An order entry system is now being set up on an IBM person- al computer. The customer speaks by telephone directly to the computer, which can ask and record order information, such as what, how much, when, and then issue invoices and update the stock files.

The V5000 system, which cost &4000 in the UK, recog- nizes single words, responds in what the company calls a ‘natu- ral nonrobotic sound’, and can store and forward messages. Because it can work in noisy environments up to 100 dB, the system is suitable for noisy

cockpits of jets or helicopters, It is l~~age-~de~ndent,

because it is not based on phonemes, which are groups of sounds which are variants of one sound in one language.

Because of the variety of possible applications, most customers take one machine to experiment with initially, and built it into their own systems, by producing interfaces to their own applications.

Votan is working on con- tinuous speech recognition, voice verification and indepen- dent speech recognition, so that any voice can be under- stood, rather than having to train the machine to one voice at a time. Although Votan would also like to extend the vocabulary from the present 2.50 words, the memory would need expanding to an extent that can only be achieved by implementing different (e.g. bubble) technology.

In the UK the systems are being demonstrated and sold by Voice Input. (Votan, 4487 Technology Drive, Fremont CA 94538, USA. Tel: (41.5) 490 7600. Voice Input Ltd, The Quay, St Ives, Cambs., UK. Tel:~O480~30~8S~.~ q

Micro from Honeywell

Honeywell has finahy launched its own microcomputer. The microsystem 6110 is software

Making conversation with an IBM PC. throueh a Votan 5000.

Honqrwell micro with 20 Mbyte hard disc drive.

compatible with Honeywell’s 32 bit minicomputers, with additional networking and per- sonal computing features. It ‘bridges the gap between single user personal computers with limited networking capabilities and more powerful mini- computers that operate in a dis- tributed systems enviro~ent’ said Richard Douglas, vice president of US marketing and services.

As well as the Honeywell DPS 6 operating system, the micros will run under MS- DOS and CPM as an added option.

On the hardware side the system has 128 kbyte RAM, a 12in monitor and keyboard. One or two floppy disc drives, and a 20 Mbyte Winchester drive are allowed. There are two asynchronous ports with a further optional synchronous port. Other options include an integrated modem with auto- matic dialling, and up to 512 kbyte main memory. Three printers are to be offered in- itially, one letter quality and two matrix.

With a single diskette drive and 128 kbyte of memory the system will sell in the USA for $3995. For two diskette drives and 512 kbyte memory the price will be $5495. Adding a fixed disc increases the price to $9995. The personal comput- ing option, allowing MS/DOS, CPfM and GW BASIC to be used

costs an extra $875. Printers are also extra. ~~~e~l fn- formation Systems, 200 Smith Street, MS 486, Waltham, MA 02154, USA. Tel: (617) 895 3658.) q

System/34 upgrade from IBM

The upgrade from the IBM System34 has been announced as the System36. In line with IBM strategy, the new system has more applications prog- ramming than previous small systems.

The System/36 has main storage of 128 kbyte, 256 kbyte, 384 kbyte or 512 kbyte. Disc capacity ranges from 30 Mbyte to 400 Mbyte. At max- imum this is twice the main storage and one and a half times the direct access storage avail- able on the Systemi34.

The system is menu-driven, and is aimed at both first time and experienced users. High- level languages include RPG II, COBOL, BASIC and FOR-

TRAN. An assembler can also be used.

Most devices which can be attached to the System34 can be used on the System/M, in- cluding the Personal Compu- ter. System36s can be used in standalone mode, or in a net- work of processors. Up to 30 local and 64 remote work-

46 data processing