Editing DECtalk Speech Synthesizer (1984) (section)

== Impact ==


DECtalk has had a profound impact in the following fields, in addition to serving the function of General Text-to-Speech: Telecommunication Systems, Healthcare, Assistive Technologies, Robotics and Automation Systems, and Education. 

First, DECtalk can be widely applied in automated phone systems, particularly in Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems. IVR systems allow callers to interact with computers over the phone by using voice commands or touch-tone inputs. 

Second, DECtalk plays an important role in healthcare filed. DECtalk's speech synthesis capabilities can be utilized to create assistive communication devices for individuals with speech or communication disabilities. These devices help patients who may have conditions like ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) or other speech-affecting disorders to express themselves by converting text input into speech. Stephen Hawking, who suffers from ALS, is a user of DECtalk, and DECtalk helped him make sounds.<ref>Kewley-Port D, M Nearey T. Speech synthesizer produced voices for disabled, including Stephen Hawking[J]. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 2020, 148(1): R1-R2.</ref> Besides that, DECtalk can be integrated into medical transcription software. DECtalk makes it possible to provide full digital speech output for all medical files and terms.<ref>Grams R R, Smillov A, Li B. Field-testing the new DECtalk PC system for medical applications[J]. Journal of medical systems, 1992, 16: 31-38.</ref> In addition to the speech impaired people, DECtalk plays a crucial role in creating screen readers and text-to-speech tools for visually impaired individuals. These tools convert on-screen text into spoken words, enabling users to access digital content, including websites and documents.

In addition to the above two important points, DECtalk also provides the robot with the ability to speak. In other words, it is used in the robot's voice. In the field of education, DECtalk generates audio as a material to help educators and students understand something, especially to help students with visual impairments.<ref>Leong C K. Effects of on-line reading and simultaneous DECtalk auding in helping below-average and poor readers comprehend and summarize text[J]. Learning Disability Quarterly, 1995, 18(2): 101-116.</ref>