VoiceXML builder: a workbench for investigating voiced-based applications

Currently, the most common interaction with the Web is visual and accomplished through the use of the keyboard or mouse. While sound files can be incorporated as part of the presentation, the user cannot interact with a Web page using speech. This orientation limits the mobility of the user and his interaction with the Web because both hands and eyes must be involved in the task. The use of speech recognition and synthesis will remove this limitation and promises to be the next wave in Web interfaces. Speech technology will promote an increased use of the Web in, as yet, untapped environments in a similar way that cell telephones have promoted the increased use of telephones. One of the limitations to the development of voice systems is the lack of easy-to-use tools for creating spoken dialogue systems, particularly by nonexperts who have no experience with or desire to learn the low level details of speech technology. One of the most promising emerging technologies for solving this problem is VoiceXML. VoiceXML is an XML-based markup language that brings the Web and content delivery together in voice response applications in an easy-to-use manner. This paper describes an editor for creating VoiceXML documents.