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【2020 Application Example】 AI Voice Synthesis Module, Bringing Warmth to Machine Narration

In response to current trends, digital learning and mobile educational materials have attracted widespread attention!

With rapid technological advancements, effectively nurturing professionals who can 'adapt to developmental changes' is a critical concern that many businesses continually consider. Over recent years, various enterprises have progressively integrated 'digital learning' into employee training programs to enhance educational outcomes, thus bringing 'digital learning' and 'mobile educational materials' into the limelight.

Outsourced narration is costly and cannot handle large volumes of demand

Differences in the digital educational material production process before and after the implementation of the AI voice synthesis system

▸ Differences in the digital educational material production process before and after the implementation of the AI voice synthesis system

Strategic Breakthrough Corporation of Taiwan has assisted companies in converting many seminars, physical courses, and training events conducted by public sectors into digital materials in the past years. However, during the conversion process, it required inviting teachers, finding and renting filming locations, and post-production of recordings and videos. During recording, issues such as speakers' nervousness, discomfort in front of cameras, or mispronunciations might lead to poor recording quality or constant retakes.

Though there was an option to provide customer-specific educational material narration, the outsourcing costs were high and could not handle the demand efficiently. Therefore, there was a hope to introduce AI speech synthesis technology and develop an 'Intelligent Voice Synthesis Module' to instantly convert text on slides into natural, human-like voice files, thus saving on narration costs.

Realistic Intelligent Voice Synthesis Module, providing a diversified selection of voices

AI Voice Synthesis Module Illustration

▸ AI Voice Synthesis Module Illustration

Strategic Corporation of Taiwan collaborated with the AI technology team, Magic Cube Digital Ltd., using Tacotron2 combined with WaveNet and Tacotron features. Characters are embedded into Mel-scale spectrogram plots, then a modified WaveNet model acting as the vocoder synthesizes waveform in the time domain from these spectrograms, finally developing an MOS (Mean Opinion Score) for voice quality evaluation that approximates human-like intelligent voice synthesis modules.

This AI Intelligent Voice Synthesis Module, after being tested by testers using the MOS voice quality evaluation standard, received a score of 4.3, meeting the initial project target score of 4.21 and surpassing WaveNet's score of 4.08, thereby demonstrating exceptional effectiveness!

AI Intelligent Voice Synthesis Module, reducing costs and increasing profits, will effectively enhance Taiwan's digital learning industry environment!

Costs have been significantly reduced after the implementation of the AI voice system, and profits have increased relatively

▸ Costs have been significantly reduced after the implementation of the AI voice system, and profits have increased relatively

This AI Intelligent Voice Synthesis Module not only reduces the cost of producing digital educational materials but also solves the difficulties faced by Taiwan's industry, government, and academia in spreading digital educational materials. It can effectively enhance the efficiency of customers in producing digital teaching materials, significantly reduce labor shortages, and cost structural risks, and improve profitability.

Strategic Corporation of Taiwan will also continue to develop the 'Intelligent Transcription Module' and introduce Robotic Process Automation (RPA) to replace the current manual processes, such as captioning, dubbing, and file conversion in the production of digital educational materials, assisting in the transformation and enhancement of the domestic digital learning industry.

「Translated content is generated by ChatGPT and is for reference only. Translation date:2024-05-19」

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[2023 Case Study] AI Steps into Philanthropy: Stylish Tech at Food Banks

Taiwan Food Bank AssociationHereinafter referred to as 'the Association'With the mission of providing food aid, poverty relief, reducing food waste, and building a hunger-free network, there are locations across Taiwan that gather donations from wholesalers, intermediaries, retailers, manufacturers, and even generous individuals These sites also rescue food that would otherwise be discarded, properly allocate and distribute it to needy households, thus aiding local vulnerable families55Food banks at various locations collect daily donations from wholesale stores, intermediaries, retailers, manufacturers, and even benevolent individuals from all over Taiwan These places also rescue about-to-be-discarded edible materials, properly sort them, and distribute to needy households, assisting local vulnerable populations However, each location requires significant human and volunteer resources to manage daily operations using traditional methods of communication with non-profit organizations and donors After receiving donations, these resources are then allocated to needy families or individuals There is a potential issue of uneven distribution of resources due to a lack of digitalization and integrated information management in these processes Warehouse and Transportation Centers and Mini Food Banks Distributing Resources to the Disadvantaged The location under validation by the Kaohsiung Charitable Organizations Association,Hereinafter referred to as 'Kaohsiung Charity' In109year6month24Officially inaugurated Taiwan's first 'Food Bank-Warehouse and Transportation Center' at a location measuring200square meters, enhancing the efficiency of food resource redistribution, proper storage, and management So far, nearly two hundred tons of vegetables and fruits have been saved, serving over a hundred organizations and benefiting over5thousand vulnerable households, and continues to serve19mini food banks, with planned completion across multiple districts in Kaohsiung, distributing food resources to over10ten thousand vulnerable families Kaohsiung Charity 'Food Bank-Warehouse and Transportation Center' in the Dasha Community Photo Source Kaohsiung Charitable Organizations Association Challenges in Labor and Food Resource Management Facing the needs of a large number of economically disadvantaged families, the management of the 'Food Bank-Warehouse and Transportation Center' is particularly critical During procurement, tasks such as sorting, purging, and bookkeeping must be performed, while during shipment, food resource needs suggested by social workers must be followed These activities rely on manual judgment and accumulated experience Many volunteers involved are elderly and have limited physical strength, making warehouse tasks physically demanding and recruitment challenging If a large batch of food resources arrives, space and manpower are consumed in sorting and inventory management, raising concerns about the effective use of resources and turnover rate This highlights the challenge of scaling up food bank services while lacking corresponding labor and material management systems At the same time, food bank resources come from various donations, thus they vary greatly in type, shelf life, standards, and quantity Volunteers at mini food banks, mostly also elderly, must handle multiple responsibilities such as case services, food resource management,resource allocation, and resource development Sometimes they must also explain and accept immediate, large quantities of specific resources, such as adults receiving baby formula 'Food Bank-Warehouse and Transportation Center' Resource Inventory Relies Entirely on Manual Labor Mini Food Bank Volunteers Handle Multiple Responsibilities Photo Source Taiwan Food Bank Association Reducing Scrap Resources60 Increasing Speed of Resource Transfer80 To enhance resource management and ensure effective use of materials, and to address personnel shortages, this field validation case has introduced 'Food Bank Warehouse Resource CollectionAITo advance resource management, ensure effective use of resources, and solve manpower shortages, this validation site has implemented an 'Automated Early Warning Needs Assessment System' for the food bank's warehouse resource gathering The first part involves building a classification model, setting up and collecting warehouse information at the site, andAItraining the model Past sitewarehouse information is collected and stored in a database, allowingAIfor preprocessing, classification, and other tasks At the same time, depending on the dependency conditions of the types of goods as features, algorithms are introduced for computation and modeling, and the data collected is used for retraining, ultimately validating the field and organizing data for the five most common types of goods into training and test datasets as required The second part involves constructing the classification model using AI techniques further use of reinforcement learning constructs the management mechanism for the food bank's warehouse, perfecting the classification of donated goodsRNNTechnical construction of classification models further use of reinforcement learning constructs food bank warehouse management mechanisms, making the classification of donated goods perfectlike white rice, instant drinks, noodles, instant noodles, and canned goodscan then be automatically assigned storage based on storage assignment principles AI Service System Process and Description Source Taiwan Food Bank Association AtAIUnder forecasts, it can optimize the speed of resource transfer and allocation, effectively and accurately match resource donations reducing the loss in the donation process, increase the accuracy of resource distribution, and improve the service rate—the successful donation rate—reducing the waste of resources due to incorrect items, and enabling instant monitoring of food resource stock, ensuring operators can respond quickly to needs, effectively providing resource assistance WithAIthe system's introduction and the establishment of data intelligence, it helps the operations of the warehouse and transportation center, allowing more time for the allocation of donated goods The introduction aims to accelerate the digital service rollout for social welfare organizations, thoroughly addressing the needs of the overall vulnerable segments of society Using the system for resource allocation and dispatching Photo Source Kaohsiung Charitable Organizations Association Following this field validation, it is possible to expand the system to other food bank service pointsAIThe system can also collaborate with more non-profit organizations, public welfare groups, and charitable organizations, expanding 'Food Bank Warehouse Resource CollectionAIAutomated Early Warning Demand Assessment System' application range such as medical supply distribution, helping more organizations manage and distribute more intelligently, reducing resource wastage, and enhancing social welfare 「Translated content is generated by ChatGPT and is for reference only Translation date:2024-12-12」

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AI Assists the Red Cross for Smarter Emergency Response

More Preparation Less Loss The Taiwan Food Bank Association, a non-profit organization, collects donations daily from wholesalers, retailers, manufacturers, and even kind-hearted individuals across Taiwan They also rescue consumable materials that are about to be discarded, properly allocate and deliver to households in need, aiding local underprivileged populations When natural disasters such as earthquakes, landslides, mudslides, typhoons, floods, and droughts occur in Taiwan, the food bank's resources can be immediately deployed for disaster relief This field verification unit is the Nantou County Red Cross AssociationOne of the food bank locations, hereinafter referred to as the Nantou Red CrossIs responsible for tasks like pre-disaster supplies preparation and disaster relief material distribution, helping the government bear the responsibility of disaster relief and aid In Taiwan, various natural disasters have characteristics of different duration and spatial coverage, wide or narrow With the normalization of extreme weather, the scale and number of disasters are gradually increasing and becoming harder to predict The required amount and type of materials differ by disaster, and they must address the lifestyles of the affected areas, rescue needs, traffic conditions, geographical restrictions, and other factors for varied material allocation, facing numerous challenges Typhoon Kanu severely damaged transportation in Nantou mountain areas Nantou County Red Cross planned the mountainous route Puli gt Fazhi Elementary School gt Qin'ai Village gt Aowanda to deliver supplies Disasters happen repeatedly We need to be prepared at all times Effective disaster preparedness can mitigate the impact, including swift response to material needs in affected areas, aid distribution, and even psychological support, providing added security for life and property of those in disaster zones Lack of Timeliness in Disaster Information To improve the living conditions and address the lack of supplies in remote areas, the Taiwan Food Bank Association has partnered with the Nantou Red Cross and has successively established food bank points in Nantou City, Puli, and Ren'aiLixing, Ruiyan, XinyiWangmei, Tongfu, Shuili, Lugu and Caotun among others9establish food bank locations, providing supplies worth a certain amount per household every month6001000in New Taiwan Dollars However, many challenges still need to be overcome during natural disasters For example, when typhoons, earthquakes, and landslides occur, the information source for disaster relief dispatch systems relies on post-disaster reports The time lag between reporting, response, and execution prevents timely adjustment and distribution of 'disaster relief' supplies based on the needs of affected areas, affecting rescue efficiency due to lack of timely information The 'preparedness' supplies of the Nantou Red Crosssuch as dry food, water, instant noodles, etc,are recorded manually in terms of stock, expiration dates, and distribution,When a disaster occurs, there is a chance that 'preparedness' supplies have expired and cannot become 'disaster relief' supplies It’s also possible that both conditions mentioned above occur simultaneously, leading to a need for more time to reassign 'preparedness' supplies into usable 'disaster relief' materials On the other hand, upon receiving information about shortages in disaster areas, the supplies donated by the public often grossly differ from the actual needs of the disaster zone, leading to an excess of supplies The Process of Material Operations Before and After a Natural Disaster AIAnticipating Natural Disasters Reinforcing the Accuracy of Preparedness Material Dispatch Application API Technology connects to compute the state of the climate, the intensity of disaster rescues, prioritizing the main tasks of the Nantou Red Cross and the needed areas of search and rescue Coordinated with the existing heavy rain and typhoon simulation disaster training of the Nantou Red Cross, a 'Natural Disaster Emergency Preparedness Material Dispatch and Supplement Decision System' is establishedreferred to as the Emergency Preparedness Material System。 In material management, inventory data along with immediate supply data are entered into the Emergency Preparedness Material System for comparison and analysis, helping the Nantou Red Cross quickly recognize materials like cookiesdry food, beverages, frozen food, toilet paper, etc, and determining whether they should be 'preparedness' materials or regularly distributed materials Adding to this, information forecasting understands the potential disaster conditions in remote areas, facilitating food delivery, addressing both front-end food wastage and backend practical needs When a natural disaster occurs, it enables faster response and decision-making, completing material deployment, hence increasing the speed of material operation transition20。 AI Emergency Preparedness Material System Helps Rapidly Adapt Material Distribution Through the field verification of the Nantou Red CrossAIthe system, material management, and related applications are promoted to more emergency response organizations in different areas, while continuously improving the alert functions within the Emergency Preparedness Material System, strengthening the technological foundation for alerts, enhancing prediction accuracySystem immediacy, and optimizing the data collection and analysis process Simultaneously, it can collaborate with government agencies, meteorological departments, or other rescue teams to discuss integrating more data sources, establishing a mechanism to share resources and data promptly, sharing information in real-time, helping more emergency response organizations enhance their disaster response abilities, seizing the golden rescue time 「Translated content is generated by ChatGPT and is for reference only Translation date:2024-12-12」

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CCTV Intelligent Video Search System

Search for a specific person, find someone with a suitcase entering the factory in Gao'an area Color features of the person and the object confirmed, person in blue and black top, suitcase in black color, throughCCTV the intelligent video search system, by setting object and color retrieval conditions, it can successfully locate three video clips containing the target subject This greatly aids operational staff in finding the target items, and through this system, search speed can far surpass manual effort6fold Pain Points The CSE-Kaohsiung Plant is densely equippedCCTVto monitor every corner of the plant area, but when an incidenthappens, it's impossible within a limited time throughCCTVvideo playback to find the incident, the implications and risks behind this are self-evident Many areas that are usually unmanned can easily become security blind spots Thus, how to monitor a vast plant area more intelligently and effectively is one of the crucial aspects of building a smart plant for the semiconductor industry The AES Plant in Kaohsiung covers a vast area, with many important sites requiring monitoring of personnel movements to ensure corporate secrets and employee safety 1 Automated production lines and warehouses In semiconductor enterprises’ automated production lines and warehouses, oftenAGV(Automated Guided VehicleAGVs automated guided vehicles travel at high speeds if plant personnel inadvertently enterAGVthe moving area and cannot issue a warning to the person, then the regrettable accidents that occur will be too late to reverse 2 Material and product storage areas Materials used in semiconductor-related processes are costly if areas storing materials or products are breached, there is a risk of loss of high-value materialsproducts 3 High-security areas Trade secrets relate to the core technological competitiveness of semiconductor-related enterprises if someone breaches the high-security areas, there is a risk of corporate secrets being leaked The safety of trade secrets has always been one of the most critical issues for semiconductor enterprises 4 Loading docks At AESLButthe dock area often has loading vehicles coming and going if someone intrudes into the dock area, there is a risk of vehicle collisions and accidents Additionally, goods awaiting shipment at the dock area could be stolen or potentially damaged from collisions, thus causing significant reputation and financial losses for the company, further leading to production and shipping inconvenience When an abnormal event occurs, how to quickly search for the relevant key footage from massive data Many important locations within the AES Kaohsiung Plant need to be equippedCCTVfor safety checks, butCCTVWith thousands to tens of thousands of cameras, manually searching through footage for an event requires laborious frame-by-frame review which is time-consuming and inefficient In light of advancements in computer vision, it's beneficial to utilizeAIto replace manual playback and searching Problem Scenario Object Detection The data source for object detection comprises two parts Open-source datasetsOIDv4and AES Kaohsiung PlantCCTVImage files For these files, search for usable data, specificallyOIDv4image files For these files, extract the defined nine major categories of objects for training data among them, two object categories, knives and gasoline barrels, were not found inOIDv4found usable data for knives and gasoline barrels, while the remaining seven categories of objects are available fromOIDv4useful training data found for the remaining seven categories of objects, all marked Regarding the Kaohsiung PlantCCTVimage files, select some frames Frame of the footage, and manually annotate the objects to be_detected for training and testing data Nine Major Objects Color Recognition The data source for color recognition is divided into two partsInternet image screenshots, and Kaohsiung PlantCCTVimage files Currently, no publicly available open-source datasets specifically for color recognition applications have been found, so images are collected from the web Search the web for images of the defined nine major object categories, save the images after separating the objects from the background, keeping only the object sections, and mark the images according to color Additionally, for the Kaohsiung PlantCCTVimage files, use the already-markedbounding boxextractCCTVimage files from variousFramesections of objects identified by color, and finally, visually identifiable images are marked according to color Each object category has its specific color definition, depending on the usual colors seen in these objects in real life Dynamic Ignore during Training FromOIDv4during the training of the object detection pilot model, since each image in this dataset is only marked for a single category, but the image may contain other desired detection categories unmarked For such cases, dynamic ignore techniques will be employed during training to avoid confusion Next, use the extracted training data from the Kaohsiung Plant toFine-Tuneenhance the detection rate of the object in specific designated areas Finally, select the model that computes the lowest loss value in the test set during the training process as the main object_detection model Dynamic Ignoring AIHelp You View CCTV The intelligent video search system primarily serves as an assistive system for searching surveillance footage, capable of speeding up the process of finding target events by setting search conditions for objects By simply defining the search conditions, you can quickly produce thumbnails of critical objects and playback for review, shortening the time required for manual case retrieval of the past The search time is quickly6doubled, allowing the front-end security unit to use this platform to strengthen the first line of risk management supervision and take timely preventive measures 「Translated content is generated by ChatGPT and is for reference only Translation date:2024-12-12」