product analyzed

Impulses

Impulses

decorative picture
Overall rating:
5/5
Technology:

Categories assigned to this product within the main category Technology.

Needs:

Categories assigned to this product within the main category Needs.

Related reviews:
Image gallery: skip gallery

Below is the video of the review.

What does it consist of:

Speech difficulties can take many forms of varying severity, from the inability to generate words to the lack of intonation. There are various applications on the market to alleviate these conditions, although most are based on generating sounds by converting text to speech. There are even applications that allow you to generate and express sentences very quickly and intuitively using images that are selected and combined on the screen of a phone or tablet.

The tools used in this analysis are primarily of North American origin and, although they indicate that they are valid for multiple languages, they are focused on the English language.

Impulse is an app developed by Samsung as part of its “Technology with Purpose” program to solve specific speech disorders for people who suffer from them.

Examples of these disorders may include stuttering, speech rate, rhythm or intonation disorders. The causes may be diverse, such as congenital, degenerative diseases or caused by incidents such as a stroke. In any case, speech difficulties arise from a lack of coordination between what the brain tells it wants to say and the way it says it.

Impulse is therefore not aimed at people with a speech or sentence creation disability but at people with a difficulty in exposition.

The method used to improve this situation is through impulses/vibrations that the patient receives through a SmartWatch or phone. Impulse analyzes natural language and transforms the syllables into rhythmic vibrations.

It is based on a rhythm therapy that aims to create a subconscious rhythm and, in this case, facilitates it through the impulses generated by the SmartWatch.

In this way, the user can perform speech exercises whenever and wherever they want, without having to attend a consultation with their speech therapist.

In addition to its use as a therapeutic exercise, since it is based on vibrations from the watch or the phone, the user can use it in real conversations or even speeches. This possibility helps to improve the user's real communication with his or her environment.

Forms of acquisition:

Impulse is an app that is used on the phone and can be connected to a SmartWatch. Using the SmartWatch makes users more sensitive to vibrations and does not require physical contact with the phone to perform the exercises. However, it can be used without the SmartWatch. This free app can be downloaded from Google Play or the Galaxy Store. The app only works on Android v.10 or higher. The required watch is the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6, although it will soon be available for all watches with Wear OS. The SmartWatch can be purchased through any means and one of the current weaknesses of the product is precisely the cost of the SmartWatch, which can exceed €150,00.

Technical assessment:

All possible options have been tested for each of the four different exercise types: voice, rhythm, tone and speech. They are easy to use and Impulse itself guides the user through the progress of the exercises they have selected.

  • In Boost Your Voice, the watch has been proven to transmit impulses at the frequency (8 frequency levels from slowest to fastest) and intensity (5 intensity levels of the impulse sent by the watch) selected by the user.
  • In Boost Your Rhythm, 3 different levels have been selected since each level corresponds to a different frequency of the impulse. Within these levels, the 18 existing word possibilities have been tested. The result corresponds to what was expected and indicated in the tutorial.
  • In Boost Your Tone, there are also 3 levels and 15 different types of exercises have been tested.
  • In Boost Your Speech, different texts have been loaded to check that the app adjusts its diction to different logical constructions.

In all cases it has been verified with the phone and the SmartWatch.

The results of all tests have been satisfactory.

How does Impulse work?

Once the application has been downloaded, the user is presented with a start screen showing the four types of exercises that can be performed depending on their needs. The menu contains all the options offered by the application, including the tutorial, which is a user manual, and frequently asked questions. 

The image shows two different images, one is the menu made up of 4 large buttons of different colors for each option ('boost your voice', 'boost your rhythm', 'boost your tone', 'boost your speech'), the first is yellow, the second blue, the third pink and the fourth purple. In the photo on the left this same menu is represented in the form of a vertically ordered list in the same order as the previous one but all in black.

The same functions appear on the watch.

The four available functions have a similar structure that makes them easy to use.

Boost your voice. It is designed to facilitate fluency in speech through impulses felt by the user. The vibration can help distract from possible speech blocks and continue with the next word. If the problem is that the user is speaking too quickly, the slower rhythm pattern encourages the user to adjust their speed to the frequency of the vibration.

The user can adjust the frequency and intensity of the vibrations at different levels, 8 frequency levels and 5 intensity levels. This allows for a learning process, as well as for carrying out the exercises according to the form of expression that the user decides.

Samsung SmartWatch with app menu.

Boost your pace. It is designed to improve pronunciation and speed. In this case, there are predefined words that the user has to pronounce. The model is very complete as it includes exercises corresponding to fricative words (5 types), occlusive words (6 types), nasal words (3 types), affricate words, lateral words and rhotic words (2 types). Each exercise can be done at three different levels that allow the exercise to be adjusted to the user's real situation or to mark a growing line. The following figure is an example of how the words are presented and the user has to pronounce each syllable as indicated by the syllable highlighted on the screen.

The user can save the recording of his/her exercise expression.

'Boost Your Rhythm' page, the page is blue and has large black letters that say 'pro/'

Boost your tone. It is aimed at people who need to improve their intonation. To do so, it contains 10 exercises in which basic sounds (mm, ii, uu) are practised with different patterns of rising and falling tones. Once these basic exercises have been practised, exercises with whole sentences are carried out. There are 82 sentences that the user listens to and then the same sentence appears on the screen indicating the rising and falling tones that must be made.

This exercise has three levels of difficulty (01,02, 03 and XNUMX) and can be recorded. The levels correspond to the speed of speech.

'Boost Your Tone' page divided into sections corresponding to different pink tones. These options are the different exercises to perform within level 3 of the app. The first is "glissando with a rise in pitch", the second "glissando with a fall in pitch", and exercises 3 and 4 are combinations of the above. At the bottom is the blue bar with the three different levels placed side by side horizontally.

An example of a sentence is as follows:

The user reads and listens to the phrase that appears on the screen.

In the middle of the image is the phrase "Where can I find the registration form?". Below this, there is a triangle, a square and a circle to indicate satisfaction.

Afterwards, he pronounces it with the increases and decreases in tone that are indicated on the following screens.

The image shows the text "el" with the last three letters in bold
The image shows the text "form" with the last three letters in bold

In this case, the user uploads a document to the application or directly writes a text that he or she wants to pronounce. An algorithm generates a rhythmic pattern according to the style that the user wants to give to the speech.

The user can choose the type of speech he is interested in practicing or performing in reality. Depending on the type selected, the impulses will have different rhythms.

Boost Your Speech page. In the middle part the text "Select the tone of your speech" is displayed and at the bottom the speech options for practice are displayed. They are: emotional, informative, persuasive. Below the options is the 'start' button.

The text that appears in the image corresponds to an example of a text that the user wants to pronounce in public and on which he wants to practice.

The user could even read or pronounce the speech from memory, adapting the expression to the impulses received from the watch or phone.

In the test, the pronunciation rhythms appear to be slower than in real speech. This may be interesting for learning, but not for real speech.

The text that the user wants to practice is shown at the top. At the bottom of the image is the button to upload the document and the button to continue.

Conclusion.

Impuse is an app that allows people with speech difficulties to improve their expression in a very simple way.

In certain situations, having problems with the voice, rhythm, tone or oral expression of a speech can limit the social or professional relationships of people with this difficulty.

With Impulse, which is easy to download and use, and with the necessary discipline to carry out the exercises, you can improve the quality of your oral expression without major complications.

To do this, you can select what you want to improve: voice, tone, rhythm or speech and start doing the simple exercises that Impulse indicates.

These exercises are based on repeating predetermined words or phrases that have been studied by speech therapists. Each syllable is indicated on the phone at the time it is to be pronounced and the SmartWatch sends an impulse through a vibration to indicate the moment at which it must be pronounced.

The continuous and repeated performance of these exercises helps the user to modify his or her speech pattern.

The user can perform the exercises without restrictions at the time and place that best suits them. All they need to have is their phone and, if possible, their SmartWatch at hand.

Highlights.

When analyzing this tool, it is important to keep in mind that there are different types of speech disorders and that this app is only aimed at certain, well-identified disorders. However, these disorders affect a large number of people around the world.

The following points can be highlighted:

  • The app is easy to use and the interfaces are intuitive. The tutorial covers everything you need to know to get started.
  • The sensations that the user receives through the vibrations of the watch or the indications of the phone are basic indications and easy for the user to process.
  • The exercises proposed to the user for each of the 4 different types of need (voice, rhythm, tone and speech) are designed with technical linguistic criteria.
  • The user can use it alone or in collaboration with his or her speech therapist. By having the possibility of recording each of the exercises, the user can check his or her progress and/or share the results with his or her speech therapist.

Improvement points.

After analyzing the app, the following points for improvement can be indicated:

  • At the end of each exercise there is a very simple evaluation test. The user completes this test by indicating his or her level of satisfaction.

Regardless of this assessment, it would be useful if the application itself, which records the user's voice exercise, were able to compare the result measured in the recording with the instructions and prompts that the user has received while doing the exercise. In this way, the feedback to the user would be more powerful.

  • The SmartWatch 6 is a feature-rich watch, but if you don't already own one and only want to use it therapeutically for Impulse, it can be expensive to purchase.

Hopefully, when Impulse becomes available for Wear OS watches as well, the acquisition cost will be reduced.

The colours of the 4 different types of exercises allow them to be clearly identified. However, in “Boost your rhythm”, the intense blue colour and black letters sometimes make it difficult to read.

Technical evaluation scores.

Design and manufacturing:
4.5/5
This section refers to the physical aspects and details of the manufacturing of the technological product
Technical benefits:
4.5/5
Description of the quality of the technical specifications of the technological solution
User experience:
5/5
This criterion is linked to the user's assessment when relating to the technical product or application.
Accessibility:
5/5
It is the degree to which people can use or access a product, technological solution or service, regardless of their technical, cognitive or physical abilities

Social valuation:

Social valuation scores.

Impact and utility:
This item has not been rated/5
Describes to what extent the functionalities of the product are useful and impact on improving the life of the user
Design and Ergonomics:
This item has not been rated/5
Assessment of how the design of the technological solution adapts to the person to achieve greater comfort and efficiency when using it
Usability and accessibility:
This item has not been rated/5
Possibility of the device to be used, understood and taken advantage of under equal conditions for anyone
Ease of acquisition:
This item has not been rated/5
It refers to the possibilities of accessing and acquiring a technological solution by the user.

Are you interested in us doing a more in-depth analysis of this product?

You can send us your request by entering an email and clicking Request analysis.

Go to content