"Oral interaction, safety and operational efficiency are key in industrial processes"
In conjunction with Orai NLP Teknologiak, we have developed a pioneering robot capable of recognising commands in Basque and interpreting them in context.
TECNALIA has developed an industrial robotic system that marks a milestone in the way people interact with machines. It is a collaborative robot capable of understanding and interpreting oral commands, also in Basque, thanks to the integration of advanced natural language processing technologies.
This project stems from our commitment to a more intuitive, accessible and inclusive industry, in which technical knowledge is no longer a barrier to operating advanced systems. In conjunction with Orai NLP Teknologiak, we have incorporated automatic speech recognition (ASR) and speech synthesis (TTS) capabilities, enabling an operator to communicate with the robot naturally, as he or she would with a colleague.
Flexibility at work
One of the scenarios we have validated is the assembly of a ceramic hob, where the operator can give instructions, such as "position the large burner" or "change the assembly order". The robot responds precisely, adjusting its behaviour in real time. The system not only recognises the spoken command, but also interprets it in context, allowing for greater fluency and flexibility in daily work.
Furthermore, we have worked to make this interaction possible in Basque, overcoming technical challenges related to the syntax, phonetics and dialectal variations of the language. In this way, we contribute to bringing digitalisation closer to all sectors of society, respecting the linguistic diversity of our environment.
This development is a clear example of how technology can adapt to people. Our aim is to continue evolving along these lines, applying these capabilities to other industrial processes in which oral interaction, safety and operational efficiency are key.