CereProc

CereProcLogo 2

CereProc is a speech synthesis company based in Edinburgh, Scotland, founded in 2005. The company specializes in creating high-quality, expressive voice synthesis technology and solutions that mimic human-like intonation and emotion. CereProc's technology is used in a variety of applications, including assistive technology for individuals with speech impairments, entertainment industries for character voices, and telecommunications for more natural-sounding automated services.

Overview

CereProc was established with the aim of developing Text-to-Speech (TTS) systems that could offer more natural and expressive voice options than were currently available on the market. The company's founders brought together expertise in linguistics, computer science, and digital signal processing to create a proprietary TTS engine capable of delivering unique voice personalities. CereProc's voices are known for their ability to convey different emotions, such as happiness, sadness, anger, or fear, making the synthesized speech sound more human-like.

Technology

CereProc's TTS technology involves several key components, including natural language processing (NLP), phonetics, and digital audio processing. The process starts with the NLP component, which analyzes the input text to understand its structure and meaning. This analysis helps in determining the appropriate intonation and rhythm for the speech output. The phonetics component then breaks down words into phonetic units, which are small sound pieces that can be combined in different ways to produce speech. Finally, the digital audio processing component synthesizes the speech output from the phonetic units, applying the desired emotion and intonation patterns.

Products and Services

CereProc offers a range of products and services, including:

- Custom voice creation: CereProc can create personalized TTS voices for individuals or characters, offering a unique way to preserve a person's voice or to give a distinctive voice to virtual characters. - Text-to-Speech software: The company provides TTS software solutions for various platforms, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, as well as mobile platforms such as iOS and Android. - Cloud-based TTS services: CereProc offers cloud-based TTS services, enabling developers to integrate CereProc's voices into their applications via an API.

Applications

CereProc's technology has been applied in several fields, including:

- Assistive technologies for people with speech impairments, allowing them to communicate using their own personalized synthetic voice. - Entertainment, where CereProc's voices have been used to bring characters to life in video games and animations. - Telecommunications, to improve the customer experience with more natural-sounding automated voice responses. - Education, where TTS can assist in language learning or provide reading support for individuals with dyslexia or other reading difficulties.

Impact

CereProc's work in the field of speech synthesis has contributed to significant advancements in making synthetic speech more natural and expressive. The company's focus on emotional expression in speech synthesis has opened up new possibilities for human-computer interaction, making technology more accessible and engaging for users.