The rapid development of speech recognition technology has replaced keyboards, mice, and touch panels with speech in human-machine interaction. In addition to “recognizing” speech, a voice assistant must “comprehend” words and make corresponding responses. This article explores the future developmental potential of smart voice assistances with the case of Amazon Alexa.
From mobiles to households
The smart voice assistant is probably one of the most popular technologies in development. From Apple’s Siri to Google’s Google Assistant, Microsoft’s Cortana, and the Amazon’s Alexa that went viral as the Amazon Echo became a bestseller, the smart voice assistant has become the key to success in the future technology market of leading manufacturers.
Why is speech recognition technology so important? This is because speech is the most intuitive and most convenient way of expressing in human communication. With support for all kinds of devices, including smartphones, cars, computers, and all kinds of electricals, the smart voice assistant has changed the way of human-machine interaction. Therefore, manufacturers that can launch the smartest voice assistants with the most functions will have the chance to take the initiative in technology development and the market.
What services does Amazon’s Alexa offer? By simply giving a voice command, users can play music, search for information, and even control all kinds of smart home appliances from Amazon’s Alexa. After more devices support Amazon’s Alexa, you can directly speak to your home electrical devices and cars to change the way of human-machine interaction.
Some may say that the smart voice assistant is merely a software technology. It is not necessarily so in reality.
Although software is the core of a smart voice assistant, it needs excellent hardware support. This includes a highly sensitive microphone that can quickly process instruction cycles and separate noise and a stable network platform that can quickly connect to the internet. Only high integration of hardware and software can bring users good experience. This is how the Amazon Echo and Alexa can stand out from the crowd.
Amazon’s Alexa supports not only the Amazon Echo and products in the series but also the entry level Dot and portable Tap. Amazon also opens Alexa for other electronic device manufacturers. If you want to develop electronic products supporting Amazon’s Alexa, Arrow ESC’ DragonBoard 410c will surely be your solution.
The DragonBoard 410c is equipped with QUALCOMM’s Snapdragon 410 quad-core processor consisting of four ARM Cortex-A53 processors. Each Cortex-A53 runs at 1.2GHz, 64 bit (with backward support for 32 bit). The DragonBoard 410c is also equipped with the QUALCOMM’s Adreno 306 400MHz GPU that supports advanced APIs including OpenGL ES 3.0, OpenCL, DirectX, and content security. Other features of the DragonBoard 410c include: 1GB of LPDDR2/3 533MHz single channel 32-bit memory, 8GB eMMC storage, 1.3-megapixel cam, built-in wavelet noise reduction, JPEG decoder and other hardware post-processing technologies, 1080p@30fps H.264 (AVC) high-definition video playback and capture, H.265 (HEVC) playback at 720p, iZat Gen8C location service, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.1.
The DragonBoard 410c has one 40-pin low-speed connector, one 60-pin high-speed connector, and one optional 16-pin emulated expansion connector as the output for stereo headsets or input of analog speakers. The I/O interfaces on the DragonBoard 410c include HDMI (type A, 1080p HD@30fps) port, one USB2.0 Micro B port, two USB2.0 Type A ports and one microSD slot. This board is compatible with Arduino and thus can be used as an additional mezzanine board. The DragonBoard 410c supports platforms including Android 5.1, Debian 8.0, and Windows 10 IoT. It can be developed by OEM and ODM contractors and all developers.
The DragonBoard 410c is compatible with the high-performance 96Boards ARM specifications. With just an additional board module, the DragonBoard 410c is ready for connecting with external products, expansion boards, and accessories without the need for additional standalone interfaces. In addition to expansion power, compatibility with multiple system platforms is the strength of the DragonBoard 410c. In fact, it is one of the first solutions that support Windows 10’s budget ARM platform. As a solution for quick software development and commercial development platform, the Dragonboard 410c is ahead of rivals in multimedia applications, CPU performance, and integrated connectivity. Basically, it can handle smart appliances such as TVs, stereos, robovacs, refrigerators, air-conditioners, and CCTVs. It also supports the development needs of smart cars, smart shoes, domestic robots, as well as cameras, STBs, wearables, medical devices, vending machines, construction automation, industrial control, digital signage, and gambling consoles. Therefore, its future developmental potential is unlimited.
With all the functions required by IoT support, the DragonBoard 410c supports Amazon’s Alexa. In fact, many electronic devices have achieved support for Amazon’s Alexa with the DragonBoard 410c. If you want to keep pace with the rapid growth of smart voice assistants, the DragonBoard 410c will surely be one of your ultimate solutions.
