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How is the weather in Borgarnes?
Embla answers questions such as: What's the weather like in Borgarnes? Where is the nearest bus stop? When does bus number 14 arrive at Hlemmur? Where am I? and How far is it to Melabúðin? She can also tell you the time, solve simple math problems, and convert amounts between currencies. Embla can predict the weather, satisfy your curiosity about people who have been in the news, and educate you about companies, institutions, and various phenomena. Additionally, Embla knows a few jokes, though opinions may vary on how good they are.
Behind Embla's simple interface lies complex and multifaceted technology. Your queries are first converted to text using speech recognition, which returns the ten most likely sentences you might have said. Miðeind's language analysis engine, Greynir, is then used to find which of these ten sentences - in descending order of probability - is a correctly formed question that Embla can answer. This process makes use of both general Icelandic grammar rules as well as special rules about question formation in each specialized field that the system knows.
When a correctly formed question is found, it is encoded into a sentence tree, from which Greynir then extracts the key elements of the question, such as which bus or which place is the subject of the question. Greynir's knowledge of Icelandic ensures that it doesn't matter whether one talks about Hlemm, Hlemmi or Hlemms (which are inflectional variants), it knows that the place is called Hlemmur.
After this, the answer is found, possibly by looking up information in other computer systems. Then the answer is formed into a correct Icelandic sentence, taking inflection and other grammatical properties into account. Finally, the fully formed answer is sent to a speech synthesizer that converts it into Embla's melodious voice, which can be either male or female, depending on the user's choice.
Embla is built in modules. It's easy to plug in new modules that add functionality. For example, there's a module in Embla that understands queries about Strætó (bus) trips and can answer them based on the schedule as well as real-time information about where the buses are located.
The technology behind Embla is discussed in more detail in the article Embla og tækifærin í íslenskri máltækni ("Embla and the Opportunities in Icelandic Language Technology") by Sveinbjörn Þórðarson, published in Tölvumál November 2022.
If you have an idea for a new module for Embla, or if you have a product, service, or information that belongs in the app, please email us at mideind@mideind.is.
Talk to me!
Miðeind's voice technology is not limited to the voice assistant Embla. The functionality behind Embla can be integrated into companies' apps and websites, allowing customers to handle their affairs using voice alone. With Miðeind's help, chatbots can also speak to users and receive queries in spoken language (speech recognition and speech synthesis).
Voice functionality expands access to information and services for those who have difficulty using traditional keyboards and screens, e.g., due to blindness or visual impairment. In this way, it contributes to an improved experience for all users.
Behind a voice interface, such as Embla, lies complex and multifaceted technology. User queries are first converted into text using speech recognition. The text is then sent to a query server that analyzes it and finds an appropriate answer in text form. The answer can be predefined or obtained by looking up information in various computer systems. The answer is formed into a correct Icelandic sentence, taking inflection and other grammatical properties into account. The answer is then sent for text normalization, where amounts, dates, abbreviations, etc. are converted into fully written out and correctly inflected text, which is then sent to a speech synthesizer. The speech synthesizer delivers an audio stream in MP3 format that is played in a web browser or in an app, with various different voices to choose from.
Miðeind supports comprehensive voice services through the EmblaCore code library, which is available in two versions: a Flutter version for apps and a JavaScript version for websites. The EmblaCore code library, which communicates with a service at Miðeind (Ratatoskur) that receives and processes audio data, offers speech recognition (i.e., converting user's voice to text), query response using Greynir, Miðeind's natural language processing engine, and speech synthesis (i.e., converting text to audio which is then played for the user). The set of possible queries and responses can be implemented specifically for each use case.
Embla's Musical World
Halldór Eldjárn
Musician Halldór Eldjárn composed the sounds heard when Embla is used. Great care was taken in this process, as there are hopes that these sounds will become part of the daily lives of Embla's users. Naturally, inspiration was drawn from Icelandic musical heritage and connection to nature. Halldór immersed himself in research on Icelandic instruments, and the result is an exciting blend of present and past, where Páll of Húsafell's stone harp, among other things, plays a role.
Embla is subject to a comprehensive privacy policy. It states, among other things, that users do not need to provide their name, ID number, email address, or other personal information to use Embla. Users can at any time request the deletion of all query data from Miðeind's databases that are associated with the smart device under their control. Additionally, it's easy to control whether Embla sends the smart device's location along with a query.
