Derivation of an Efficient Nonvocal Communication System

Abstract

In order to improve communication efficiency for speech-disabled users of nonvocal communication devices, a procedure has been developed that generates sets of units for use as language representation systems. Given a limit N to the number of units the user and device can accommodate, and the type of language system desired (phoneme sequences, letter sequences, or words with letters), the procedure produces sets of units that require a minimum number of selections per word of message. One nonvocal individual trained in a system of this type (N = 400 phoneme sequences) improved communication rate by 30% over an alphabet system, despite a manual selection rate that was twice as slow with the large unit set. Implications are drawn for improvement of communication rate, for the design of communication systems and devices, and for the development of systems for other languages.