IBM to collaboratye with IIT-Guwahati for SUR

Guwahati, Dec 6 (PTI) IT major IBM today entered into a collaboration with IIT-Guwahati for Shared University Research (SUR) on computer assisted therapy and rehabilitation for speech, hearing and language pathologies. Researchers at IBM’s Human Accessibility Center as well as professionals and students at IIT-Guwahati will work together to develop technology-based solutions that can augment existing therapeutic procedures for a speedy recovery for patients, company sources here said. The solutions will help in analyzing mistakes and suggest correct pronunciation to those with speech problems. Speaking on the occasion at Bengaluru, country manager of University Relations of IBM, India, Bhooshan Kelkar said "We hope to augment traditional speech improvement therapies for patients with software tools". The research team will work closely with patients facing speech problems and their feedback will be critical in the development of the solutions, the release said. At a later stage the project will try to address challenges faced by people with hearing disabilities and language disabilities. "One of the other outcomes of this project will be a user-friendly visual interaction tool which will help patients practice speech on their own without human intervention. The uniqueness of this project is the collaboration between academia and IBM for the greater good," said S R Mahadeva Prasanna, associate professor in the department of electrical and electronics engineering in IIT-Guwahati and the principal investigator of the project.