Converting Audio to Arduino-Compatible Speech with ArduinoTalkieSpeech
Introduction
Speech synthesis on embedded devices like Arduino can add a fun and interactive dimension to your projects, but achieving clear and intelligible speech on resource-limited hardware isn’t easy. That’s where Talkie comes in – a speech library for Arduino that synthesizes audio using minimal resources, making it possible to add simple audio phrases to your projects without the need for complex hardware.
In this project, we’ll introduce ArduinoTalkieSpeech, a Python script that converts standard audio files (WAV format) into data compatible with the Talkie library. This tool makes it easy to take a WAV file and produce an output that the Talkie library can play on your Arduino, allowing you to bring pre-recorded sounds and phrases to life with minimal effort.
Project Overview
ArduinoTalkieSpeech is a Python-based utility for transforming audio files into a format compatible with Talkie, a speech synthesis library for Arduino. The Talkie library enables speech synthesis on Arduino boards by encoding audio as data and playing it back in a robotic, synthesized form. With ArduinoTalkieSpeech, you can generate Talkie-ready data from any short audio file, making it straightforward to add speech to your Arduino projects.
Key Features
- Audio File Conversion: Transforms WAV audio files into data that Talkie can synthesize on Arduino.
- Speech Customization: Choose any short audio phrase or alert sound to convert.
- Sample Script: Quick command-line script for converting audio files.
Why Use ArduinoTalkieSpeech?
For Arduino developers, adding audio feedback in the form of spoken words or alerts can create a richer user experience, whether it’s for robotics, alarm systems, or educational projects. However, with limited processing power and memory, achieving real-time speech synthesis on Arduino has traditionally been difficult. The Talkie library allows for basic speech synthesis, but encoding audio files manually is tedious. ArduinoTalkieSpeech automates this process, giving you a simple way to generate audio-compatible data files from any short WAV audio clip.
This tool is perfect for:
- Developers who want quick, easy voice feedback on their Arduino projects.
- Educators who want to demonstrate simple speech synthesis.
- Hobbyists looking to add a unique, retro-sounding voice to their embedded projects.
How It Works
ArduinoTalkieSpeech converts a WAV audio file into an array of bytes that represent the audio in a format compatible with the Talkie library. Once converted, this data can be copied into your Arduino code and played using Talkie’s playback functions.
Script and Usage
The script, talkie_me.py, accepts a WAV file as input and processes it into data output. Let’s go through the main steps of the script.
Running the Script
To convert an audio file, simply run the following command:
$ python talkie_me.py alert.wav
The script will produce an output which contains the audio data in a format that Talkie can play.
Sample Output
After running the script, the output might look like this:
const uint8_t spALERT[] PROGMEM = { 0xA5, 0xCF, 0xC6, 0xAB, 0x55, 0x5B, 0xAF, 0x39, 0xDA, 0xC9, 0x54, 0xDD, 0xBC, 0xC6, 0xC2, 0x3C, 0x27, 0x20, 0xCF, 0x1C, 0xD7, 0x30, 0xB0, 0x45, 0x16, 0x69, 0x1D, 0xC3, 0x11, 0xE4, 0x59, 0x8A, 0x7C, 0xB5, 0x9B, 0x8B, 0xD9, 0x30, 0xB7, 0xD3, 0x76, 0x19, 0x9A, 0x25, 0x59, 0x57, 0x59, 0xEC, 0x11, 0xAF, 0xE8, 0xD9, 0xF9, 0x2A, 0x8A, 0x1D, 0xF0, 0x75, 0x3F, 0x73, 0xAC, 0x87, 0x3B, 0xA2, 0x0B, 0xAA, 0x2B, 0xCF, 0xE4, 0x10, 0xA1, 0xDC, 0x45, 0x64, 0x03, 0x00, 0x80, 0x01, 0x66, 0x36, 0x33, 0xC0, 0xAB, 0xD5, 0x0A, 0x68, 0x25, 0x85, 0x02, 0xFF, 0x0F }; voice.say(spALERT);
Conclusion
The ArduinoTalkieSpeech script is a practical way to bring speech synthesis to Arduino projects, making it easy to convert any WAV file to a Talkie-compatible format. With this tool, you can generate custom audio prompts and messages, adding a personalized, retro sound to your projects.
For source code and updates, check out the project repository:
View on GitHub