Successful cases
Votz
:
The Votz project set out to create a speech synthesis system by means of neural networks for Languedoc Occitan and Gascon Occitan. Speech synthesis has become a basic technology in the digital service era for any language: artificial voice use has expanded significantly in loudspeakers in transport networks, in the reading of websites and in virtual assistants.
Votz :
Overview
The Votz project set out to create a speech synthesis system by means of neural networks for Languedoc Occitan and Gascon Occitan. Speech synthesis has become a basic technology in the digital service era for any language: artificial voice use has expanded significantly in loudspeakers in transport networks, in the reading of websites and in virtual assistants.
Challenge
The synthesis systems in the Votz project face two major challenges. Firstly, the Occitan dialects are poorly-resourced languages and that entails the need to produce many new recordings. Secondly, Occitan uses many French words as place names or special names. So French words need to be properly detected and phoneticised so that the system pronunciation is correct. To meet these challenges many recordings have been produced in a studio and a new phoneticisation system has been created.
Collaboration
In this project we worked in collaboration with LoCongres, the group that is involved in the Occitan languages.
Result
All the aims set in the project have been met, and high-quality speech synthesis systems have been achieved for two Occitan dialects. The synthesis systems have been evaluated with many listeners and have achieved high ratings in terms of general quality and in the pronunciation of French words.
Similar projects have been implemented in the speech synthesis systems made for Goiena and for the NAIZ radio station
https://votz.eu/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GacVl3hnwg
