Human Factors Guidelines for the Use of Synthetic Speech Devices

Abstract

Synthetic speech devices have attracted considerable attention in the last several years, and are found in consumer, military, or industrial applications. A body of literature on synthetic speech can be assembled from human factor research and from research in perceptual psychology and linguistics. This literature includes research on the intelligibility, comprehension and acceptability of synthetic speech, work on the use of synthetic speech in multi-task situations, and studies of the function and utility of synthetic speech for alarming and annunciation, and for training and education. A review of this literature will be presented. In addition, standard human factors references and guides for speech communication are analyzed for their applicability to modern synthetic speech technologies.