NEW YORK, July 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wavio, a leader in sound recognition technology, announced today that it will partner with ID R&D, the award-winning biometric solutions provider offering AI-based voice, behavioral, and anti-spoofing user authentication capabilities, to deliver high-performance sound recognition software.
Wavio was founded by Greyson Watkins after an incident where his friend's daughter fell down the stairs. Being profoundly Deaf, Watkins did not hear her cries for help. Frustrated by this experience, Watkins started Wavio with a vision to make ambient sounds accessible to everyone by integrating sound recognition in common applications and on common devices. With sound awareness, devices can detect and intelligently respond to specific sounds in emergencies, natural disasters, and other life-threatening scenarios. They can also detect and respond in everyday environments where acoustic awareness is necessary. Wavio will integrate ID R&D’s AI and machine learning (ML) acoustic detection capability to improve the accuracy and performance of Wavio’s sound recognition technology while also expanding the number of compatible platforms for its SoundAI software.
SoundAI is available to developers and manufacturers who seek to add sound recognition functionality to smart home devices, voice assistants, robotics, and interactive products. SoundAI detects sound source and type through a sound recognition module that can be installed on any microphone-enabled device running on a reasonably capable ARM processor. Developers may integrate the SoundAI toolkit into common operating systems, including iOS, Android, and Linux. Wavio also offers a customizable software solution for any use case that requires a host device to recognize sounds and trigger instant notifications or custom API calls.
Wavio selected ID R&D’s neural-network-based Acoustic Event Detection software due to the software’s accuracy and effectiveness with a set of common sound events, including barking dogs, sirens, coughing, glass shattering, and cries for help. “Wavio was highly impressed when we tested ID R&D’s software, and after learning more about ID R&D’s deep research and knowledge of voice, audio processing, and the very latest in artificial intelligence methods, we were convinced that ID R&D is the right partner to help us fulfill our mission,” said CEO Watkins. The collaboration includes the integration of ID R&D’s AI technology to greatly expand the number of sound events detectable by SoundAI. The partnership will also leverage ID R&D’s architecture that allows users to add new sound events with low effort, adding to Wavio’s deep experience in detecting critical sound types.
In addition to SoundAI, Wavio has partnered with a New York City-based healthcare agency Area 23, an FCB Health Network company, to develop See Sound, a hardware device designed to bring sound awareness to more than 9 million Deaf and hard-of-hearing households in the US. The Wavio-powered See Sound prototype was recently awarded the Innovation Grand Prix at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Kristen Bell and Corinne Feight from Area 23 are the inventors of See Sound.
“At a time when we increasingly hear about the need for ‘technology for good,’ there is no better example than Wavio,” said Alexey Khitrov, CEO, ID R&D. “We are excited to contribute ID R&D’s AI technologies to help launch Wavio’s solution and support its goal to make sound awareness available to all.”
Additional resources:
- Wavio website: www.wavio.ai
- ID R&D website: www.idrnd.net
- AdWeek article: Wavio and Area 23’s ‘See Sound’ Project Wins Top Innovation Grand Prix at Cannes Lions
- Case film: See Sound Film
- See Sound product website: www.see-sound.com
About ID R&D
ID R&D is an award-winning provider of multi-modal biometric security solutions based in New York, NY. With more than 25 years of experience in biometrics, the company’s management and development teams apply the latest scientific breakthroughs to significantly enhance authentication experiences. ID R&D combines a science-driven seamless authentication experience with the capabilities of a leading research and development team. ID R&D’s focus is on behavioral biometrics, voice biometrics, voice and face anti-spoofing, keystroke dynamics, and biometric fusion. Learn more at www.idrnd.net.
About Wavio
Based in Sonoma, CA, Wavio is comprised of a diverse and innovative group of people who strive to generate impact and transform the world through the application of AI in sound recognition and sound contextual awareness technology. Founded in 2015, Wavio’s software adds a smart sense of hearing to any microphone-enabled device. Through ML and AI, Wavio powers multiple applications in key industries, including smart homes, safety, security, well-being, health, entertainment, and communication. Learn more at www.wavio.ai.