Uncovering the legacy of DSP technology: How a children’s toy sparked the edge AI revolution

The potential impact of edge artificial intelligence (AI) on people’s lives is monumental. For example, the implementation of edge AI into wearable heart monitors makes health care more affordable and accessible by enabling these devices to analyze heart rhythms locally, filter out noise, and flag irregularities in real time. In heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems, edge AI can help make homes more comfortable by learning occupancy patterns and automatically adjusting temperatures based on weather conditions.

As impressive and complex as these strides are, they would not have been possible without a children’s toy.

In 1978, TI introduced the Speak & Spell, an educational toy designed to teach spelling and pronunciation. The Speak & Spell incorporated a speech synthesizer, which used the industry’s first chip with digital signal processing (DSP) logic. That DSP technology has paved the way for efficient, real-time, on-device decision-making of all types of real-world signals, which are present in TI’s edge AI innovations today.

Roland Sperlich, vice president and general manager of processors at TI, sat down with Gene Frantz, one of the engineers who pioneered the DSP technology in the Speak & Spell. Gene also served as the Principal Fellow on TI’s Technical Ladder before his retirement from TI. They discuss:

• The creative methods that the Speak & Spell team used to secure resources and funding for device development.
• The technical hurdles that the team faced in developing real-time speech processing using linear predictive coding, choosing the voice, and deciding which words to include in the Speak & Spell’s vocabulary.
• Overcoming the logistical hurdles of working with the integrated circuit design, speech research and product development teams, all located in different sites across Texas.
• How the Speak & Spell team collaborated with both senior leaders at TI and end users to improve the device.
• How TI’s DSP work has evolved into modern edge AI applications in the automotive, medical and industrial automation sectors.
• The lessons learned from the early DSP development, including the benefits of giving engineers freedom to control their projects.

About Roland Sperlich

Roland Sperlich is vice president and general manager of TI’s processors business unit. He joined TI in 2005. He leads a team that designs high-performance microcontroller and microprocessor products for automotive advanced driver assistance systems, high-performance signal processing solutions for audio and radar applications, and comprehensive networking solutions for the industrial and automotive sectors. Roland received his bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineering from Merrimack College, his master’s and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and a master’s degree in business administration from Southern Methodist University.

About Gene Frantz

Gene Frantz worked at TI for almost four decades. In his time at TI, Gene was a Principal Fellow, representing the highest rung on TI’s Technical Ladder, and helped design the Speak & Spell and the first single-chip DSP device. He received his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Central Florida, a master's degree in electrical engineering from Southern Methodist University, and a master's degree in business administration from Texas Tech University - Rawls College of Business.

_{*Texas Instruments created and marketed the Speak & Spell from 1978 to 1992.}