Speech Analysis

With recent advances in computer memory, speech analysis is becoming practical for real-time workload monitoring. Speech analysis can potentially provide a remote measure of physiological stress, without the need to attach sensors to the speaker, providing workload evidence that is not readily recognized by the human ear. It is especially appropriate for remote CRM applications, potentially providing a continued monitoring of individual physiological responses that can be accessed in real-time. This paper reviews recent evidence for three basic speech measures of stress/workload: fundamental frequency, speaking rate, and amplitude. It summarizes results from a laboratory experiment and from three real-life accident situations: a helicopter accident, a 1994 accident involving the Boeing 737, and the 2014 disappearance of Malaysia flight 370.