Ryan. Alex. Siri. These are ###### of robotic voices that are ###### used on cellphones or tablets. ###### have also become voices for ###### with speech problems who use ###### to talk.]]>
17,000 Volunteers Donated To Voicebank

###### effort to build an international "###### Voicebank" has attracted more than ###### volunteers from 110 countries. One ###### Priyanka Pandya, a 16-year-old from ######, Maryland. She plans to spend ###### winter vacation recording a string ###### sentences into her laptop.

"To ###### able to give somebody the ###### of voice, I think that's ######, really powerful," she said.]]>
Her voice could ###### used to help one of ###### than 2 million Americans who ###### severe speech problems and need ###### to communicate. It's a problem ###### in the television series "Speechless." ###### main character is a teenager ###### cerebral palsy, which affects movement ###### muscle use. He relies on ###### and an assistant to act ###### his "voice" at school.

"Everyone ###### a voice," said Rupal Patel, ###### of VocaliD, the Belmont, Massachusetts, ###### that launched the voicebank.]]>
Her company designs custom voices ###### recording the sounds of the ######. Then those sounds are blended ###### six to 10 hours of ###### from a voice volunteer, matched ###### the user.

Researchers Already Using Speech Technology

The company is ###### voices now for its first ###### customers. However, researchers have been ###### the technology for years.

Tim ###### is head of the Speech ###### Laboratory at the Alfred I.]]>
The scientists in Bunnell's lab ###### the user's sounds for qualities ###### as pitch. Then they map ###### the recordings from a voice ######. They combine the voices by ###### the volunteer voice to reflect ###### qualities of the user's voice.]]>
Patel is ###### a speech technology professor on ###### from Northeastern University. She worked ###### Bunnell as a researcher. When ###### decided to bring the technology ###### of the lab, she developed ###### own method for blending voices ###### turned to the online world ###### help. She wanted to have ###### voices to reflect the diversity ###### customers, which could include a ###### from Alabama or a little ###### from Ireland.

Volunteers Participate For Various Reasons

Since she announced ###### voicebank two years ago, the ###### has been overwhelming, she said, ###### volunteers ages 6 to 91 ###### on all over the world.]]>
###### began recording her voice last ######, using headphones and speaking into ###### computer as she read from ###### screen. Then she asked family, ###### and others to do the ######.

Patel said she is continuing ###### simplify the process to build ###### efficiently.]]>
Pilot Program Participant Satisfied

Some of the ###### customers say they are happy ###### the results.

John Gregoire, of ######, Maine, was one of the ###### to receive a customized voice ###### December from VocaliD. It was ###### years after he was diagnosed ###### ALS.]]>
His wife, Linda, ###### she got used to hearing ###### speak with "Ryan," the voice ###### his computer. When they heard ###### new voice, they reacted together ######. Linda said, "It was him."

###### couple is raising money to ###### a studio so people in ###### community can record their voices.

"###### a distinctive voice is like ###### something back that was stolen," ###### said.]]>