A remote control for TV sets and VCRs which incorporates a microphone
and speech recognition circuitry was being demonstrated by Philips, the
Dutch electronics giant. The device could be a boon to people with disabilities,
such as arthritis, that prevent them using the buttons on a conventional
remote control.
Before using the remote for the first time you switch it to ‘learning’
mode and dictate words to correspond to a list of basic commands: On, Off,
BBC1, ITV, Play, Record and so on. You can choose whatever words
you like, in any language, to represent each command: for instance, ‘wake
up’ for On, or ‘shut up’ for Off.
The remote has four memories, for four voices, so different members
of a household can use the same control, though only one can talk to it
at a time.
