Steel case for Stephen Hawking's speech synthesizer
Steel case for voice synthesizer. Part of communication equipment built for Stephen Hawking to allow speech and communication by computer with the Internet, by Cambridge Adaptive Communication, 1985-1995.
This is part of Stephen Hawking's first synthesizer system. After using it for more than a decade, he gave it on loan to the Science Museum in 1999, where it has been on display in different exhibitions. Stephen was proud to mention that his voice was in the Science Museum. In 2021, this system, which was previously on loan, became part of the newly allocated collection of Stephen Hawking's Office.
In 1985 Hawking completely lost his voice after emergency windpipe surgery. Shortly after, he began to try a voice synthesiser and software that allowed him to select letters or preprogrammed words and phrases. The synthesiser hardware was adapted into a portable system hanging on his wheelchair.
With practice, Hawking was able to say about 20 words per minute (most people reach about 150). His synthetic voice became famous, and he later refused offers to ‘humanise’ it.
Details
- Category:
- Stephen Hawking Office
- Collection:
- Stephen Hawking’s Office
- Object Number:
- 2021-561/21/1
- Materials:
- nylon, paint, plastic (unidentified), steel (metal) and textile
- Measurements:
-
overall (laid flat): 110 mm x 520 mm x 370 mm, 1.5 kg
- type:
- voice synthesizer
- taxonomy:
-
- furnishing and equipment
- container - receptacle
- furnishing and equipment
- sound device
- credit:
- On loan from Professor Stephen Hawking since 2000, accepted in lieu of Inheritance Tax by H M Government from the Estate of Stephen Hawking and allocated to the Science Museum, 2021.
