Sensory Adds Siri Utility to TrulyHandsFree Platform

Sensory has updated its TrulyHandsFree wake word engine to support the ‘Hey Siri’ wake word for Apple’s virtual assistant. In plain terms, that means that developers will be able to use the TrulyHandsFree SDK to add a Siri utility to third-party smart devices.

Once enabled, consumers would be able to use ‘Hey Siri’ as their wake word to control devices that have been integrated with the Apple HomeKit platform, even if those devices were manufactured by another company. The ‘Hey Siri’ models will be available to any developers with a TrulyHandsFree license. The models are also available in multiple languages, allowing developers to tailor their Siri functions to audiences in dozens of different countries.

The TrulyHandsFree platform is geared toward companies that want to create their own custom-branded wake words, though Sensory noted that there is still a high level of interest in models that are compatible with more ubiquitous virtual assistants like Alexa, Bixby, Google, and Cortana. The Siri models are expected to help meet that demand. TrulyHandsFree now supports all of the leading virtual assistants in the United States (and many of the leading assistants internationally), and that should increase the appeal of the Sensory solution for developers working across multiple platforms.

“Every conversation with a virtual assistant starts with a wake word, so accurate wake word performance across the world is mandatory for a positive user experience,” said Sensory CEO Todd Mozer. “TrulyHandsfree has shipped in billions of products, including mobile phones, smart speakers, wearables, smart appliances, and automobiles. All of that real-world experience provides a competitive advantage for Sensory models.”

The TrulyHandsFree Siri models have already been featured in select Made for iPhone/iPad products. Sensory, meanwhile, recently released a new VoiceHub development platform that allows companies to create custom voice interfaces, and placed TrulyNatural speech technology in a microwave with on-device speech recognition capabilities.