SOVA (Smart Open Virtual Assistant)
SOVA is being created by the joint efforts of over 50 developers, linguists, and Data Science specialists who focused on releasing and developing a genuinely independent voice virtual assistant platform. What is SOVA?Smart Open Virtual Assistant, SOVA is a voice virtual assistant and an independent open platform for creating virtual assistants, with Amazon Alexa being the closest existing analog. SOVA consists of multiple frameworks, utility functions, and services.Summary:· SOVA’s key elements are speech recognition, chatbot engine, and speech synthesis;· SOVA software can be launched on practically any hardware;· SOVA’s possibilities constantly expand through the use of intelligence modules, which are specially designed plugins adding new features to SOVA. A community of developers works on creating the intelligence modules.· In addition to the software, we work with Open Hardware to develop our hardware specifications for SOVA launch: motherboards, range of microphones, and other peripherals.Our core principles:· No capitalizing on private lives of our users· Availability of software and device modifications, Open Source· Privacy: no cloud storage of user data if he doesn't agree with it· Decentralizing: the system is not to be reliant on just a few servers· Convenient developing: quality scripting language and machine learning technologies for developing intelligence dialog modules, IDE and API· Rich functional variety of the user ecosystem: a spectrum of intelligence modules, cross-platform possibilities, technology availability· Most importantly, we are striving to create a community that will work on training and improving all elements of the virtual assistant’s intelligence, from speech recognition to decision support system, moving us forward along the way to General AI.
Company Overview
SOVA, founded in 2018, operates as a privately held company based in San Francisco, California. The company specializes in IT services and consulting, focusing on creating an open-source platform for voice virtual assistants and interfaces. With a team size of three, SOVA is classified as a very small business. The company emphasizes decentralization and privacy, ensuring that user data is not stored in the cloud without explicit consent.
Products and Services
SOVA offers a diverse range of products and services, including the SOVA Mobile App for Android and iOS, which allows multitasking by connecting multiple virtual assistants. The SOVA ecosystem includes over seven products designed for various applications, such as SOVA ASR/TTS for speech recognition and text-to-speech capabilities, and the SOVA Developer Kit, which enables users to build their own smart speakers. Additionally, SOVA provides Puzzlelib, a Python library for building neural networks, and the SOVA Dataset, an open set of labeled audio data for model training.
Technology Specializations
SOVA specializes in several advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, neural networks, deep learning, and the Internet of Things (IoT). The company's platform supports the development of chatbots and virtual assistants, showcasing its versatility across different hardware. SOVA's products can run on various devices, including laptops, smart speakers, and home appliances, and can be deployed on any cloud provider or locally using Docker.
Community and Development
SOVA fosters a community-driven approach to development, with intelligence modules designed as plugins that add new features to the platform. The company collaborates with developers to enhance its offerings, including the SOVA Chat Kit, which supports integration with platforms like Facebook Messenger, Telegram, and RASA. The SOVA Dialog Operating System features a dialog processor and IDE for creating contextual dialogs, facilitating the development of sophisticated virtual assistants.
Data Privacy and Security
SOVA prioritizes data privacy and security by ensuring that its ASR/TTS system runs locally on machines, thus protecting user information. The company’s commitment to privacy includes a policy against cloud storage of user data without explicit consent. This approach aligns with SOVA's emphasis on decentralization, ensuring that the system does not rely on a limited number of servers, thereby enhancing user trust in its technology.