InvoTek Voice Switch

Use your voice or another sound to control technology. With this switch and an appropriate controller you can turn on and off a light, toys, computer games, and appliances. This switch is unique in being able to distinguish between human voiced sounds and other sounds you can select between having it listen to only human voiced sounds or all sounds. The Voice Switch contains special software that analyzes an incoming sound to determine if it is human speech. The switch can be setup by the user to only accept speech sounds, or accept any sound (including speech sounds) that meets the input requirements.

Two knobs on the top panel enable the user to set the sound duration and volume required to activate the two output relays. One relay is activated on short sounds and the other is activated on longer sounds. A third knob adjusts the volume of the auditory feedback to the user indicating that a sound has met the input requirements. The switch activates one of two output relays for one-tenth of a second (100 msec) when a sound meets the front panel settings.

The switch contains a special mode activated by setting the sound duration knob to its minimum setting. In this mode, the primary output relay is activated for the entire time that a sound is active. This enables "click and drag" capabilities for people who want to use the switch as a left mouse button. All controls are on the front panel, while the input and output ports are located on the top panel.

The Voice Switch gives you the ability to activate two relays using your voice or another sound. You can adjust the following:

• The loudness of sound required to activate the relays
• The duration of the sound
• The audio feedback volume

Applications for the Voice Switch
The Voice Switch has two primary applications. The first is to provide a switch closure to control assistive technology in response to sound production. The second application is to train sound production capability by persons with speech disabilities. It is expected that this device will be used by persons who have limited ability to produce sounds with the larynx or voice box because of cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, brainstem stroke, or nerve damage due to injury or surgery.

A microphone is required. Choose a standard "ear-bud" microphone or a "throat microphone". The ear bud microphone is a lapel mic with a small ear-bud speaker. It is the best choice if you want to use a sound other than a voiced sound (such as a vowel sound that activates the vocal cords). The throat mic does not pick up ambient sounds, so it can be used to avoid accidental switch activations from noises in the room.

Voice Switch includes:

• Two cables (one black, one gray) terminated with 1/8-inch mono plugs for interfacing to assistive devices
• Removable belt clip and microphone clip
• Two AA batteries

The Voice Switch requires a microphone headset (not included). The universal headsets available for use with cell phones are compatible with the Voice Switch and work well for detecting airborne sounds. A neck (or throat) contact microphone can be used to detect sound produced at the level of the larynx or voice box. This throat microphone is virtually immune to environmental sounds because the sensor contacts the throat.