Bringing Emotion to Synthetic Speech

Reclaiming identity, personality, and humor in assistive communication

For millions of people with Motor Neuron Disease (MND), losing the ability to speak doesn’t mean losing the need to express themselves. But most AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) devices still sound robotic—flattening emotion, humor, and personality.

This prototype lets AAC users experiment with pitch and speed—shaping rhythm to bring back the feel of real speech. Instead of relying on AI to guess emotion, it gives users direct control to express humor, frustration, or joy. Visual cues make editing not just fast and intuitive, but fun and delightful too. It’s an early prototype, but a clear step toward voices that sound more human.

If you like this prototype and want to say hi, email me.