but, how does that voice box that steven hawkings has work??
he doesnt type anything, and im just curious
thanks
2007-04-26 21:31:37 · 11 answers · asked by marie s 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Other - Science
Check out this link. Definitive answer.
http://www.hawking.org.uk/disable/computer.html
2007-04-27 05:04:34 · answer #1 · answered by Daniel T 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I'm not too sure about any of the sensible answers so far - I once saw an old woman on a bus with her middle-aged daughter on the way back from shopping one morning, and at one stage the daughter (a loud talking woman so that her voice was clearly audible to everybody on the lower deck!) said "You ain't got your box turned on Mum" at which point 'Mum' reached into a pocket, and pulled out what looked like (but wasn't) a small stick-microphone. Then whenever she wanted to say anything, she put the tip of this gadget onto the side of her neck, and without hardly any lip movements on her part, out came the voice of Steven Hawkins from her coat pocket, only with a strange cockney accent. It made the journey quite interesting but there was no keyboard or any clever gadgetry on display, so there must be a way that something can electronically convert changes in the shape/size/position of vocal chords or mouth shapes into synthesised speech - and this was nothing all THAT expensive (even though no doubt it was supplied on the NHS) and these two ladies were not rich - they'd both been in Asdas at Park Royal at the same time as me, and were, to say the very least, no "ladies" , if you get my drift ! ! !
2007-04-26 22:44:36 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Looks like Daniel T got it.
But, if this answer wasn't already here, I would have said:
I don't think that Mr Hawkings can type at all with his condition. He selects whole words from a computer screen, using a little foot-peddle-looking-thing that is held in the hand. The rest of it is: "I can select words, which are printed on the lower part of the screen. When I have built up a sentence, I can send it to a speech synthesizer." from the site that Daniel T found.
But, I heard that if he knows he is going to be making a speech, public appearance or something, he prerecords a few things that he wants to say.
2007-04-27 13:08:36 · answer #3 · answered by V. 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I saw a live web cam of one of his talks, and I think that he isn't talking live. What's coming out of his voice box is a prerecorded speech written by somebody else, or by himself several years ago when he was more functional.
Why do I think this? you ask, because the questions that people asked, and the answers that he gave rarely had anything to do with one another. He gave the sort of answers that if you don't think about them, then they answer your question, but if you stop and think, you realize that he didn't really say anything.
2007-04-26 21:42:10 · answer #4 · answered by Max 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wiccans and other Pagan religions believe in past lives, as well as Hindu people. What are you asking here? Dreams can be a window to past lives , Did you have a specific dream? There are dream encyclopedias to help figure out dreams, try the library.
2016-05-20 02:28:19 · answer #5 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
stephen hawking has a bad throat. he does still however have a larynx, which is used to make sound when air from the lungs pass by.
stephen hawkin cannot make air pass by, so what they do is put a microphone directly on the larynx and translate the vibration of it into sound.
2007-04-26 22:42:05 · answer #6 · answered by mrzwink 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
he has a keyboard that he can use my moving a joystick.
in all interviews he is asked the questions a day before so he has time to program in all the answers.
the computer then speaks out what he has written down. (just a piece of software programmed to speak the english language).
2007-04-26 21:36:38 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
He has very slight movement in his one hand. He has an electronic pan which he holds in this hand and using that he can select words or pre-programmed phrases for the computer to speak.
2007-04-26 21:44:18 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You don't sound stupid at all, I was wondering the same thing lately when I was watching him on the news. It's as though it's connected to his thoughts, really spooky!
2007-04-26 21:50:31 · answer #9 · answered by chelle0980 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
thats a good question but i aint got a clue ?
2007-04-26 21:34:45 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 5⤋