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Artificial Intelligence & Digital Assistants...

1/24/2012

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Video Below:
It may seem reasonable to believe that speech-to-text and text-to-speech recognition may be really accessible. With the Apple iOS and Seri, and with the Samsung Galaxy speech application, it looks like we will soon have the technological ability to talk to our computers. (Please see my post on Seri on the Trendcasting page). But, as noted in my previous post, we are a long way from controlling our world with speech. My sense is that there is a lot to learn from available products and this post contains my own experience with AI and speech recognition. But please be aware that this is not an endorsement for a particular product, but it is the way I found to learn about the technology and its limitations. The video below is far from my usual quality as I had to shoot the screen directly. The screen capture application that I tried did not allow for voice synchronization. So, with that caveat, please watch and I will give some thoughts about how to learn this fairly complex subject and the attending frustrations after the video:

I have had this program for about five years and continue to learn about the technology. I use the Microsoft SAPI, (Speech Application Programming Interface). The challenge in using this type of AI is that it is very imperfect and requires constant experimentation. But, despite the effort, it is worth a look to see what is available.
A search of "chatbots" will provide a number of options from the incredibly complex to the really useless programs in digital assistants. I chose the UltraHal program as it is sufficient to learn how these systems work and it can be fun. I have added character expansion, and voices from AT and T. But, the program has a 30 day trial with just a simple character but can provide a good look at how it works. There are also forums and although some topics are dated, they are applicable.
My biggest problem has been with the use of a headset for speech to text. There are a lot of mistakes and I have found that using the text box is easier. The bot can learn and there is a wide variety of teaching options. I hope to try the Nuance SAPI when I can afford it. My understanding is that it is a better algorithm so it may help.  In any event, I believe that understanding this process of speech-to-text technology is an important challenge. The link for Ultra Hal is here. I'll have my bot call your bot...

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Old textbooks and good information...

1/17/2012

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It seems as if I am always looking for information, and it really is sweet to find what I have been looking for. Before the Internet, we had to go to libraries and seek books and journals for good source material. And, while that is still possible, the net has some good original material. Unfortunately, journal articles are really expensive and the abstracts so general that investing in the article is not my first choice.
But there is a great source that I found for old textbooks. Yes, I said old! The two in the photo are both by Vogel and one was first published in 1937, and the other in 1948. But both have perfectly good and even current chemical preparations. Some things really do not change. I bought these online three years ago. But this post is not about buying textbooks. It is about finding good old textbooks online.
Well, I found a treasure trove of 128 volumes containing more than 66,000 pages of really good but old works in  Chemistry, Plant Biology, Metals, Electrochemistry, and more. It even contains C. L. Stongs "Science Projects" from 1960. The dates range from the late 1800's to 1970. They are complete and in a PDF format so you will need Adobe Reader 5 or later.
The site has some internal links and is a really good resource for both historical and interesting processes and information. The web hosts have put some serious effort into the site and it deserves a look here. Some of these are really page turners...Ken

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Up and coming and "The Amateur Scientist" CD ROM

1/2/2012

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2012 appears to be a great year for new projects and ideas here on this page. I have been working on projects to post for a while now and am having some good success and a lot of failures. But, if you follow my blog entries you will know that failures are just more data points to use. I seldom abandon ideas or projects based on failure. I put them on the back burner and hope for some inspiration.
Currently I am working on electrophotography, birefringent  nematic liquid crystals, easy screen printing, and a 12 volt 1 amp power supply. I am deciding whether to build from the ground up or buy a kit. But, in the meanwhile, I wanted to let you know about a really good resource from the "Amateur Scientist" published in Scientific American. The articles that have appeared from the 1920's until 1999 are available on a CD ROM. I bought  a copy 4 or 5 years ago and it is a good investment. There are over 1000 projects in chemistry, physics, biology, weather, earth sciences, and a lot more. All of the experiments have a general cost estimate, difficulty level, and danger factor. The very early articles had quite a bit on telescopes and their fabrication. Some of the projects are obviously dated but become interesting history and the nucleus for new ideas. The CD runs on all operating systems and is generally about $25 dollars. There is also an included disk with some good software links.
I will include a link to Amazon so that you can read the reviews and a good overview. Here. Perhaps you can find the best price elsewhere. I will also include a link to the Society of Amateur Scientists, founded by Dr. Shawn Carlson who managed the Amateur Scientist for several years. Here. It is another really nice resource. I look forward to having a great 2012 and if you have ideas or projects to submit I will be happy to correspond with you. Just leave a comment. Thanks for all of you who follow the path of ideas...Ken
Added Link: The comment below was posted by Dr. Sheldon Greaves, who was a co-editor along with Dr. Carlson. He wanted us to know about a site that he founded called Citizen Scientists League. From the home page: "The Citizen Scientists League promotes responsible scientific observation, experimentation,
discovery, and invention. We encourage active participation, networking and publishing
by science enthusiasts at all levels of education and experience." I believe that all resources and places that present the opportunity to learn have value and this site deserves a good look. Here. Ken

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    The author has an eclectic background in chemistry, electronics, writing, mental health, and community action...Ken

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