Singapore, 30 November 2012 - 1. Using your voice as a unique identification to unlock your smartphone is no longer a fantasy or just another scene from a futuristic movie. The technology will be embedded in Lenovo’s smartphone - Lenovo A586, which will be available from 30th November 2012 in China through major telecommunications providers and online shops. This innovative Speaker Verification technology was pioneered by A*STAR’s Institute for Infocomm Research (I2R) and enhanced by the Baidu-I2R Research Centre (BIRC).
2. The adoption of the Speaker Verification technology in the Lenovo A586 smartphone demonstrates A*STAR’s success in translating results from research collaborations with corporations in Singapore to industry applications. It also marks a major milestone for BIRC, a joint laboratory between A*STAR’s I2R and Baidu, Inc. (Nasdaq: BIDU), the leading Chinese language Internet search provider. BIRC, Baidu’s first overseas joint R&D facility, officially opened in Singapore in July this year.
3. The Lenovo A586 smartphone is the first in the industry that incorporates this Speaker Verification technology into its operating system. With this distinctive feature, an authorized user can unlock the smartphone simply by speaking a passphrase, without the need to use PINs, passwords or finger swipe patterns.
4. Dr. Li Haizhou, Co-Director of BIRC said, “We are delighted that our months of hard work and efforts are bearing fruits with the launch of the Lenovo A586 that incorporates our Speaker Verification technology. This is a strong endorsement of user-inspired research and cutting-edge speech and language technology in I2R and BIRC. We look forward to more innovative products from the Baidu and I2R partnership.”
5. “Lenovo A586’s adoption of the Speaker Verification technology that is developed through our joint effort with Baidu demonstrates I2R’s commitment to translate their expertise in speech and language technologies into products that benefits consumers and the industry. It is indeed encouraging that an A*STAR-developed technology is being deployed in China, the largest and world’s fastest growing smartphone market,” said Dr. Tan Geok Leng, Executive Director of I²R.
For more information, please contact:
Ms. Doris Yang
Institute for Infocomm Research
DID: (65) 6419 6529
Email: yangscd@scei.a-star.edu.sg
About Institute for Infocomm Research (I2R)
The Institute for Infocomm Research (I²R pronounced as i-squared-r) is a member of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) family. Established in 2002, our mission is to be the globally preferred source of innovations in `Interactive Secured Information, Content and Services Anytime Anywhere’ through research by passionate people dedicated to Singapore’s economic success. I²R performs R&D in information, communications and media (ICM) technologies to develop holistic solutions across the ICM value chain. Our research capabilities are in information technology, wireless and optical communication networks, interactive and digital media, signal processing and computing. We seek to be the infocomm and media value creator that keeps Singapore ahead. For more information about I2R, please visit www.i2r.a-star.edu.sg.
About the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is Singapore’s lead public sector agency that fosters world-class scientific research and talent to drive economic growth and transform Singapore into a vibrant knowledge-based and innovation driven economy.
In line with its mission-oriented mandate, A*STAR spearheads research and development in fields that are essential to growing Singapore’s manufacturing sector and catalysing new growth industries.
A*STAR supports these economic clusters by providing intellectual, human and industrial capital to its partners in industry.
Please visit www.a-star.edu.sg
