How IRIS’ SDK Enhances Speech-to-Text Recognition in Challenging Environments

Voice tech faces challenges with background noise. IRIS’ SDK uses AI noise cancellation to improve speech recognition accuracy by up to 40% in noisy settings

2 Dec '24

Voice technology is revolutionising how businesses interact with customers. From AI-driven virtual assistants to advanced transcription services and sentiment analysis tools, speech recognition is at the heart of delivering seamless user experiences. However, real-world environments are seldom quiet. Background noise often disrupts even the most advanced systems, diminishing their effectiveness and reliability. This creates a challenge for companies seeking seamless customer experiences in real-world settings.


Despite these challenges, the adoption of voice and speech recognition technology continues to accelerate due to its significant benefits. According to a report by Meticulous Research, the adoption of voice and speech recognition technology is expected to save industries up to $8 billion annually by 2026. To unlock these savings, businesses need solutions that can perform accurately even amidst background noise.


Enter IRIS’ SDK: an advanced AI audio solution engineered to overcome these obstacles. By integrating state-of-the-art noise cancellation technology, it ensures accurate speech recognition even in the most challenging acoustic environments. In fact, studies have shown that advanced noise cancellation can improve speech recognition accuracy by up to 40% in noisy settings[^1].


This article delves into the critical role of noise cancellation and illustrates how IRIS’ SDK delivers improvements across key applications.

The Challenges of Noise in Speech Recognition

Noise, including ambient sounds and overlapping voices, remains one of the most significant barriers to reliable speech recognition. Background chatter, overlapping conversations, echoes, and environmental sounds can distort the audio input, leading to reduced transcription accuracy and misinterpretations. These challenges are more than technical nuisances—they have direct implications for businesses, including decreased customer satisfaction and increased operational costs due to errors and the need for manual intervention.


In the article Noise Robust Automatic Speech Recognition: Review and Analysis, researchers identified noise as the most persistent factor affecting Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) systems. The study states that noise interference at the input stage significantly deteriorates the accuracy of speech recognition systems. This challenge intensifies in environments with fluctuating noise levels or competing speakers.


For businesses that rely on voice bots or transcription tools, these issues can result in poor user experiences, reduced trust in technology, and higher expenses related to error correction, customer support, and manual overrides. In fact, inefficient speech recognition systems can increase operational costs by up to 30% due to additional manual processing.

How IRIS’ SDK Overcomes These Challenges

IRIS’ SDK directly tackles noise-related challenges using advanced noise cancellation algorithms to filter irrelevant sounds and enhance core speech clarity. This technology enables voice applications to process cleaner audio inputs, resulting in improved accuracy and efficiency.


Key Features of IRIS’ SDK:

  1. Real-Time Noise Filtering: Dynamically adapts to varying noise levels, ensuring consistent performance across different environments.
  2. Enhanced Speech Extraction: Isolates primary voices, even in settings with overlapping speakers, sudden noises, or significant background noise.
  3. Seamless Integration: Compatible with diverse platforms, making it ideal for applications ranging from voice bots to transcription services.

Applications of IRIS’ SDK

IRIS’ SDK isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution—it’s a tailored approach designed to meet the unique demands of various voice-driven applications. Here’s how it makes a difference:


1. Voice Bots

Voice bots are the frontline of customer interaction, but their effectiveness is often undermined by noise interference, especially in environments like call centres or public spaces due to overlapping conversations and ambient noise.


To function effectively, voice bots must accurately separate the user’s voice from background noise. Research indicates that integrating noise suppression systems using AI and deep learning can enhance voice activity detection (VAD) in noisy settings.


A study published in the International Journal of Speech Technology discusses how AI and deep learning has achieved better performance compared to traditional signal processing-based techniques for real-time speech processing applications, particularly in environments with low signal-to-noise ratios (SNR).


With IRIS’ SDK, voice bots, IVRs, and similar systems gain the ability to:

  • Distinguish between the speakers and background noise.
  • Respond accurately, even in chaotic environments like call centres or public spaces.

2. Transcription Services


Effective noise suppression directly contributes to lower WER in transcription outputs. Background noise can interfere with speech quality, leading to word errors because the machine may not differentiate between noise and the human voice if not properly trained with real-life speech data. By delivering noise-free input, transcription tools can more accurately capture spoken words, thereby reducing WER.


High-quality audio inputs facilitate quicker transcription processes. Background noise can be distracting, making the audio harder to understand, which can increase transcription time. By minimising background noise, transcriptionists can work more efficiently, leading to faster turnaround times for transcription outputs.


In industries such as legal, healthcare, finance, law enforcement, and the military, transcription accuracy is paramount. Noise-induced errors can lead to misinterpretations and potential legal risks. Incorporating advanced noise suppression technologies ensures that transcription tools deliver accurate and timely outputs, mitigating risks associated with misinterpretations in critical industries, ensuring:

  • Reduced word error rates.
  • Faster turnaround times for transcription outputs.

3. Sentiment Analysis


High-quality audio enables sentiment analysis systems to capture nuanced emotional expressions. A study published in the IEEE Transactions on Affective Computing emphasises that “background noise can mask subtle emotional cues in speech, making it challenging for algorithms to accurately detect emotions.” By providing clear audio, noise suppression technologies allow these systems to identify and interpret subtle emotional variations more effectively.


Clear audio inputs lead to more reliable sentiment analysis outcomes. Research from the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America indicates that “improved signal-to-noise ratios in speech data enhance the confidence levels of sentiment analysis models, resulting in more actionable insights.” By reducing noise, tools like IRIS’ SDK contribute to higher confidence in the analysis, enabling better decision-making based on the derived insights.


Accurate sentiment analysis of speech data is crucial for interpreting emotional tone and intent. However, background noise can distort input signals, leading to skewed insights and inaccurate conclusions. Implementing advanced noise suppression technologies, such as IRIS’ SDK, can significantly enhance the quality of audio data, thereby improving the performance of sentiment analysis tools to:

  • Detect subtle emotional cues.
  • Deliver actionable insights with higher confidence.

The Broader Business Benefits of Noise Cancellation

Investing in advanced noise cancellation technology like IRIS’ SDK goes beyond solving technical challenges—it’s about driving tangible business outcomes. Here’s why it matters:


  1. Improved User Experience Customers expect seamless interactions, and clear communication is critical to their satisfaction. By reducing misunderstandings, IRIS’ SDK helps businesses build trust and loyalty.
  2. Operational Efficiency Fewer errors mean less time spent on corrections, allowing teams to focus on strategic tasks. This translates into cost savings and better resource allocation.
  3. Future-Proofing Technology As voice technology evolves, the ability to handle noisy environments becomes a competitive advantage. IRIS’ SDK positions businesses to capitalise on future innovations, including advanced NLP and human-like interactive voice response (IVR) systems.
  4. Enhanced Brand Perception High-quality voice interactions build trust, positioning your business as innovative and reliable.

Looking Ahead: Noise Cancellation as a Catalyst for Innovation

The implications of noise cancellation extend far beyond immediate gains in accuracy. By providing a cleaner signal, IRIS’ SDK lays the foundation for more sophisticated voice-driven systems. Imagine IVR solutions that engage customers in natural, flowing conversations, or sentiment analysis tools that offer real-time emotional insights with pinpoint precision.

According to a report by MarketsandMarkets, the speech and voice recognition market is expected to grow from $11 billion in 2022 to $28.1 billion by 2027. As businesses increasingly adopt AI-powered voice technologies, the ability to “break through the noise” will be a defining factor in their success.

Hear the Difference with IRIS’ SDK

IRIS’ SDK is more than a tool—it’s a gateway to the future of voice technology. Whether you’re enhancing customer interactions, optimising workflows, or gaining deeper insights from sentiment analysis, IRIS empowers you to achieve your goals with confidence.

[^1]: Smith, J. (2020). Impact of Noise Cancellation on Speech Recognition Accuracy. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

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