Biometric-enabled Personalized Augmentative and Alternative Communications

TL;DR

This paper explores the integration of biometric technologies into personalized AAC systems, aiming to enhance communication for people with disabilities by assessing current AI capabilities and proposing future improvements.

Contribution

It introduces a novel roadmapping methodology for biometric-enabled AAC, linking physiological traits to communication channels and identifying gaps between AI technology and practical needs.

Findings

Current gesture and sign language recognition AI accuracy is insufficient for practical use.

The proposed roadmapping highlights key areas for technological improvement.

Recommendations are provided to bridge the gap between AI capabilities and social demands.

Abstract

This study focuses on the roadmapping of biometric technologies onto personalized Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), a branch of assistive technologies for people with communication disabilities. This technology roadmapping revolves around the proposed notions of an AAC biometric register and biometric-enabled reconfigurable AAC channels. The biometric register is referred to as a tool for acquiring and processing physiological and behavioural traits that are essential for augmentative and alternative communication. It links biometric traits, such as gestures, to intermediate traits, such as synthesized speech, for customizable communication channels. The proposed methodology is used to assess the gaps between the social and practical demands, such as assisting people with communication disabilities in the contemporary semi-automated border control, and the emerging advances in AI, such as advanced video and speech processing. We provide two case studies of the AAC that rely on hand gesture recognition and sign language word recognition, and conclude that the current accuracy of those AI technologies does not meet the practical requirements. The proposed roadmapping provides recommendations for further improvement to close these gaps.