Projects

Ongoing

International

Vidi-Video (Interactive semantic video search with a large thesaurus of machine learned audio-visual concepts) VidiVideo (2007-2010) The VIDIVideo project takes on the challenge of creating a substantially enhanced semantic access to video, implemented in a search engine. The engine will boost the performance of video search by forming a 1000 element thesaurus detecting instances of audio, visual or mixed-media content. [1]	E-Circus (Education through Characters with Emotional Intelligence and Role-playing Capabilities that Understand Social Interaction) E-Circus (2006-2008) E-Circus will develop a new approach in the use of ICT to support social and emotional learning within Personal and Social Education (PSE). This will be achieved through virtual role-play with synthetic characters that establish credible and empathic relations with the learners. [2]
COST-2102 (Cross-Modal Analysis of Verbal and Non-verbal Communication) COST-2102 (2006-2010) The main objective of this COST Action is to develop an advanced acoustical, perceptual, and psychological analysis of verbal and nonverbal communication signals originating in spontaneous face-to-face interaction, in order to identify algorithms and automatic procedures capable of identifying the human emotional states. [3]	COST-2103 (Advanced Voice Function Assessment) COST-2103 (2006-2010) The main objective of the Action is to combine previously unexploited techniques with new theoretical developments to improve the assessment of voice for as many European languages as possible, while acquiring in parallel data with a view to elaborating better voice production models. [4]
ECESS (European Center of Excellence on Speech Synthesis) ECESS () ECESS is a European initiative to foster the European research area in the field of Language Technology. As partner in this network where major industry partners such as IBM, Siemens and Nokia as well as European key research institutes are connected, L2F plays an active role in the R&D activities. We are responsible for the intelligibility and naturalness of the synthesized utterances while developing the acoustic module of the speech synthesis software. [5]	LIREC (LIving with Robots and InteractivE Companions) LIREC (2008-) LIREC aims to establish a multi-faceted theory of artificial long-term companions (including memory, emotions, cognition, communication, learning, etc.), embody this theory in robust and innovative technology and experimentally verify both the theory and technology in real social environments. LIREC will advance understanding of the concepts of embodiment, autobiographic memory and social interactions in the context of companions where the ‘mind’ might migrate to differently embodied ‘bodies’. [6]

National

PoSTPort (POrting Speech Technologies to other varieties of Portuguese) PoSTPort (2008-2010) PoSTPort's goal is to port spoken language technologies originally developed for European Portuguese to the South-American and African varieties of Portuguese. The two main technologies to be investigated are speech synthesis and recognition. The project also involves corpora collection and characterization of the main differences between varieties, as well as their automatic identification, for switching among specific recognition systems.

REAP.PT (Computer Aided Language Learning - Reading Practice)           REAP.PT (Computer Aided Language Learning - Reading Practice) REAP.PT (2009-) The main purpose of this project is to build a Portuguese version of REAP (“REAding Practice”), a tutoring system developed at LTI to support the teaching of a language for either native or foreign speakers, through the activity of reading and focusing the students in learning vocabulary in context.. [7]

Finished

International

• COST 277 - Nonlinear Speech Processing (2001-2005)
• COST 278 - Spoken Language Interaction in Telecommunication (2001-2005)
• ALERT - Alert System for Selective Dissemination of Multimedia Information (2000-2002)
• AUDIOLING-LP - Multimedia course for foreign students of the Portuguese language (Socrates Program)
• SPEECHDAT - Speech Databases for for Creation of Voice Driven Teleservices (1994-1999)
• VODIS - Advanced Speech Technologies for Voice Operated Driver Information Systems (1995-1999)
• SPRACH - Speech Recognition ALgorithms for Connectionist Hybrids (1995-1998)
• ELSNET - European Network in Language and Speech

National

• RiCoBa - Rich Content Books for All (2005-2007)
• LECTRA - Rich Transcription of Lectures for E-Learning Applications (2005-2007)
• NLE GRID - Natural Language Engineering on a Computational Grid (2005-2007)
• WFST - Weighted Finite State Transducers Applied to Spoken Language Processing (2004-2007)
• DIGA - Dialog Interface for Global Access (2004-2007)
• PAPOUS - The Story Teller (2003-2005)
• IPSOM - Indexing, Integration and Sound Retrieval in Multimedia Documents (2000-2004)
• ATA - Automatic Terms Acquisition (2001-2003)
• FALA2 (2000-2003)
• CITE-IV - Augmentative Communication Tools in Portuguese (1999-2000)
• DIXI+ - A Text-to-Speech Synthesizer in Portuguese for Alternative and Augmentative Communication (1999-2001)
• REC - Speech Recognition Applied to Telecommunications (1997-2000)
• PRAXIS_FALA - Reconhecimento de fala de Alto Desempenho em Português (1997-1999)
• CORAL - Labelled Spoken Dialogue Corpus (1997-1999)
• BDFALA (in Portuguese) - Spoken Database for European Portuguese (1994-1998)
• EDIFALA (in Portuguese) - Vocal Support System for Oral and Motor Handicapped (1993-1997)

Bilateral contracts

• LIFAPOR - Spoken Books in European and Brazilian Portuguese (2005-2007)
• ARARA - Automatic directory assistant service for Portuguese Telecom, together with Philips Speech Techonology (1999-2001)
• SVIT (in Portuguese) - Partial Automation of Directory Services Based on Synthesis of Telephone Numbers (1995-1999)

Finished before 1995

• WERNICKE - A Neural Network Based, Speaker Independent, Large Vocabulary, Continuous Speech Recognition System (1992-1995)
• RELATOR - A European Network of Repositories for Linguistic Resources (1993-1994)
• SAM_A (ESPRIT III) - Multi-Lingual Speech Input/Output Assessment, Methodology and Standardization (1992-1993)
• ONOMASTICA (Language Research Engineering) - Multi-Language Pronounciation Dictionary of Proper Names and Place Names (1993-1995)
• SUNSTAR (ESPRIT II) - Integration and Design of Speech Understanding Interfaces (1989-1992)
• HCM-ELSNET (Human Capital Mobility) - Phrase Level Phonology and Dialogue & Discourse (1994-1996)
• EUREKA 151 - High quality speech coding at medium-to-low bit rates (1987-1990)
• COST 229 - Applications od Digital Signal Processing to Telecommunications (1990-1993)
• COMETT - A Trans-European Platform for Transferable Continuing Education in Digital Signal Processing (1990-1993)