Voice narrator for picture books
Date of Publication
2011
Document Type
Bachelor's Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
Subject Categories
Computer Sciences
College
College of Computer Studies
Department/Unit
Computer Science
Thesis Adviser
Ethel Chua Joy Ong
Defense Panel Member
Clemente Ong
Shirley Chu
Abstract/Summary
Picture Books is an automatic story generation system that produces fables from pictures created by the user. However, the children for whom the system is intended for cannot read the fables generated because of their limited reading skills. This research integrated a storytelling capability to Picture Books by using a synthesize voice narrator (MaryTTS) capable of expressing emotions while narrating the generated fables. The stories were also highlighted as they are narrated.
The emotions conveyed in the different parts of the fables were represented with tags containing emotional words and categories. The emotional words were mapped in an ontology of structured taxonomy ranging from the basic to specific emotions, and were classified under a basic emotions category. The audio parameters corresponding to the basic emotion category were then used as configurations for the synthesizer that would produce the expressive voice.
The quality of the voice narrator was evaluated by experts, mainly preschool teachers, as well as Picture Books target users, which are children age four to six. This testing was very basic, and its only purpose is to evaluate the systems user acceptance and quality.
Based on the results, the system garnered a high overall average rating of 3.8 over 5 as scored by the teachers earning an average score of 4.3 over 5 for its voice narration feature and 4.0 over 5 for story and emotional delivery. The system also proved to be generally understood by the children having obtained an overall average score of 75% on story comprehension, as well as unanimous liking of the whole system. The voice narration-story highlighted tandem was especially commended by all expert evaluators.
Abstract Format
html
Language
English
Format
Accession Number
TU18444
Shelf Location
Archives, The Learning Commons, 12F, Henry Sy Sr. Hall
Physical Description
ix, 177, 21, 2 unnumbered leaves : illustrations (some colored) ; 28 cm.
Keywords
Photography of families; Generations
Recommended Citation
Alcantara, J. D., Lu, L. R., Magno, J. A., & Soriano, Z. C. (2011). Voice narrator for picture books. Retrieved from https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/11269
