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4mo ago

Cambridge's 'Revoice' AI Collar Shows Promising Speech Recovery in Early Stroke Trial

The soft neck device uses AI to convert sensor signals from silent mouthing into fluent sentences, with a larger Cambridge clinical study planned this year.

Researchers have developed a wearable, comfortable and washable device called Revoice that could help people regain the ability to communicate naturally and fluently following a stroke, without the need for invasive brain implants. (Credit: University of Cambridge)
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Researchers have developed a wearable, comfortable and washable device called Revoice that could help people regain the ability to communicate naturally and fluently following a stroke, without the need for invasive brain implants.

Overview

  • In pilot results published in Nature Communications on January 19, the device recorded a 4.2% word error rate and a 2.9% sentence error rate among five stroke patients with dysarthria.
  • Participants reported a 55% increase in satisfaction compared with basic word-by-word output, indicating more natural, usable communication.
  • The washable choker captures throat vibrations and heart-rate patterns, then uses two AI agents—including an embedded language model—to reconstruct words and optionally expand brief phrases into full sentences via a nod command.
  • Researchers note early-stage limits, including a small sample, a constrained vocabulary, and per-patient tuning, and say broader robustness and generalisability remain to be tested.
  • The team plans a clinical study in Cambridge this year for native English speakers and says the approach could eventually aid conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and motor neurone disease.