Grab Unveils Singlish-Savvy Voice Assistant to aid Visually Impaired
Grab has launched a new voice assistant designed to understand Singaporean speech patterns, including Singlish, with the aim of assisting visually impaired users in navigating the city-state. The feature, developed in collaboration with the Infocomm Media Progress Authority (IMDA) and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (AStar), underwent rigorous testing to ensure its effectiveness.
During its developmental phase, Grab benchmarked the voice assistant against Meralion, an AI model capable of understanding at least eight regional languages, and Singlish, an AI model developed by AStar’s institute for Infocomm Research. While both models are geared towards Singlish speakers, Meralion’s focus is on general natural language understanding, whereas Grab’s voice assistant is specifically tailored to help users identify locations and points of interest within singapore.
The voice assistant’s ability to comprehend Singaporean speech patterns was a key focus, as the technology has encountered challenges in understanding local dialects in the past. Grab’s spokesperson highlighted that recordings collected for the feature’s improvement are encrypted and stored for a year on a secure server, with no personal identifiers linked to the data.
The initiative, championed by individuals like Mr. Lim and Ms. Loh,hopes to extend its benefits beyond the visually impaired to encompass the elderly and individuals with physical disabilities. They expressed optimism that an improved version could assist a broader audience who prefer voice interaction over typing. The development signifies a step forward in making technology more accessible and inclusive for diverse user groups in Singapore.
