TxDOT seeks callers with drawls, system ‘learning’ to understand voices for travel help line
By APTuesday, August 10, 2010
Drawls welcome: TxDOT tests phone info line
AUSTIN, Texas — That drawl from y’all could help the Texas Department of Transportation update its phone line for travel information.
The agency on Tuesday launched its interactive voice response interface for the Texas Travel Information Line, at 1-800-452-9292.
The new system, for several weeks, will be “learning” to understand voices. The first 10,000 calls will add to months of testing by TxDOT to help the automated system understand different tones and accents.
Deputy Executive Director Steve Simmons says the agency needs callers, and their different accents, to help the system with certain words and phrases.
The system is programmed to recognize names of more than 1,200 cities and towns, plus multiple names for the same highway, such as “MoPac” and “Loop 1″ in Austin.
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Online:
www.txdot.gov
