Three projects from La Salle-URL selected for the professional fair in audiovisual technology BIT 2016

The Professional Fair in Audiovisual Technology BIT 2016 organized by Ifema has selected three projects from La Salle Campus Barcelona-URL, EUNISON, DRAWIT and VOIXER within the first call R & D + BIT. In this initiative 25 research works will be presented, carried out both at the university and at entrepreneur level from May 24-26 May at IFEMA. EUNISON (Extensive UNIfied-domain simulatiON of the Human Voice), is one of the research projects of the European Union on Future and Emerging Technologies (FET).Its main objective is to numerically simulate the production of the human voice and reach the dream of reproducing the performance of our vocal apparatus.  EUNISON will also allow working on diseases of the vocal cords or retooling speech therapists, among other applications. This project of the Media Technologies Group (GTM) of La Salle-URL, conducted with researchers from KTH, Gipsa-Lab, CIMNE (UPC) and FAU-Erlange, involves such a novel and provocative goal that it has been funded by FET program of the European Commission with a budget of 2.96 million euros. The long-term prospects include the development of natural voice synthesis applicable to the generation of audiovisual content, such as film dubbing or complete simulation of virtual characters (including the actual process of generating voice). DRAWIT is another project of GTM   La Salle-URL, which allows the relationship between people and objects through drawing on a blank page on a Tablet. Their researchers have designed a system that reinterprets existing interfaces for a mores visual and direct language. The user is able to draw the objects he or she wants to interact with and adapt them to his or her needs. The aim is to achieve a fluent interaction that has the will to transcend the screen through a visual language, putting aside the usual interfaces and functionalities. Likewise, DRAWIT   lets you program actions, allowing the remote control of almost all the appliances from the couch at home and other household objects. This project has recently won an award in the international competition "Dream it.Code it. Win it ", organized by the MIT Enterprise Forum of New York and the MIT Club of New York in the category" TradingScreen Global Technology Award ". VOIXER is the third project of La Salle-URL selected for the first call for R & D + BIT. VOIXER integrates technologies of converting text into speech and voice transformation with the aim of developing a unique voice generation custom synthetic through an intuitive user interface. The development of this technology allows you to convert a text message in the type of desired voice (child, robot, man, woman ...) from a single neutral voice in the desired language. In fields like video game production, VOIXER allow to have a synthetic voice in the production phase, reducing costs and delays leaving broadcaster intervention for the final stage of production. Even as the synthetic quality of the technology allows more natural and expressive voices, it would be possible to replace a professional broadcaster. For the selection of projects, the Selection Committee of the fair BIT 2016 has taken into account the timing of the research carried out, the ability to influence the future development of the audiovisual industry, application potential, originality in its approach, method or object and the ability to gather and generate collaboration between different stakeholders. The initiative R & D-BIT wants to recognize the work of professionals in the audiovisual research, showing society the most innovative projects. Those attending the fair can see first-hand the development of these projects through a series of informative posters and presentation sessions.