Speech to text using C++ and IBM Watson cloud AI service.

Nong's Variety
12 Aug 202103:16

TLDRThis tutorial demonstrates the process of converting speech to text using IBM Watson's cloud AI service in C++. It guides viewers through creating an IBM Cloud account, selecting the Speech to Text service, and obtaining an API key. The video then details using VCPKG to integrate the necessary library and setting up a C++ program to send audio data to the IBM server. It explains how to use cURL for data transfer, configure request headers, and execute the request. The server's response, containing the transcribed text in JSON format, is showcased, concluding the tutorial with a reminder to like and subscribe.

Takeaways

  • πŸ“ Open an IBM Cloud account and select the 'Speech to Text' service with a preferred location to get started.
  • πŸ”‘ Note down the API key from the URL as it will be required in your code.
  • πŸ’» Use PowerShell to install the necessary library 'libgirl' for your project using 'vcpkg', a Microsoft package manager.
  • πŸ“š Include 'curl.h' in your project's header to utilize the cURL library for data transfer.
  • πŸ“‘ Open the input audio file in binary mode and read its content into a vector for later use.
  • πŸ”„ Use 'curl' to handle network protocols and prepare the data for transfer to the IBM Watson server.
  • πŸ“‘ Specify the audio format (OGG) and append it to the header using 'curl_slist_append'.
  • πŸ”“ Set the authorization mode to allow any type and pass the API key to the server with 'curl_easy_setopt'.
  • πŸ“€ Define the size of the audio data and the pointer to the audio data for the POST request.
  • πŸš€ Execute the cURL command to send the data to the server using 'curl_easy_perform'.
  • βœ… Check for a successful response from the server and clean up the allocated memory with 'curl_easy_cleanup'.
  • πŸ”’ For security, ensure to change the API key values in the code before running it.
  • πŸ“ˆ The output will be in JSON format, displaying the transcribed text from the audio input.

Q & A

  • What is the purpose of the video?

    -The video demonstrates how to use cloud computing to convert speech to text programmatically using the IBM Watson cloud AI service.

  • How do you start using the IBM Watson Speech to Text service?

    -You begin by opening an account on the IBM Cloud, logging in, clicking on the 'Resource List' button, and selecting the 'Speech to Text' service with a chosen location such as London.

  • What is the importance of the API key in the URL?

    -The API key in the URL is essential as it will be required in the code to authenticate and interact with the IBM Watson Speech to Text service.

  • What is VCPKG and how is it used in this context?

    -VCPKG is a Microsoft package manager used to easily integrate libraries into your project. In this case, it is used to install the 'libgirl' library for the Speech to Text conversion.

  • What does the command 'vcpkg install libgirl x64 windows' do?

    -This command installs the 'libgirl' library specifically for a 64-bit Windows environment, which is necessary for the Speech to Text project.

  • How do you ensure the audio file is ready for processing?

    -The input audio file 'test.og' is opened in binary mode, and the file pointer is positioned at the beginning using the 'seek' function followed by reading the content into a vector.

  • What is CURL and how is it utilized in this script?

    -CURL stands for Client URL and is used for transferring data using various network protocols. In the script, it is utilized to send the audio data to the IBM Watson server.

  • What is the purpose of the 'curl_easy_init' function?

    -The 'curl_easy_init' function is called to get a handle to the CURL, which is necessary for making further CURL calls to send data to the server.

  • How do you specify the format of the audio to the server?

    -The format of the audio (in this case, 'og') is declared in the CURL header by using the 'curl_slist_append' function.

  • What does the 'curl_easy_setopt' function do?

    -The 'curl_easy_setopt' function is used to set various options for the CURL session, such as the URL, authorization mode, API key, and the size and pointer of the audio data.

  • What happens after the CURL command is sent to the server?

    -If everything is set up correctly, the server should return a CURL OK response, indicating that the audio data has been successfully received and processed.

  • How is the memory cleared after the CURL operation?

    -The memory occupied by the CURL session is cleared by calling the 'curl_easy_cleanup' function after the operation is complete.

  • What is the expected output format of the transcription?

    -The output of the transcription is in JSON format, as shown in the video transcript.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 Setting Up IBM Cloud Speech to Text Service

The video begins by guiding viewers on how to utilize cloud computing for speech-to-text conversion. It instructs users to create an IBM Cloud account and navigate to the 'Resource List' after logging in. Under the 'Services and Software' section, viewers are prompted to select 'Speech to Text' and choose a location, such as London. It emphasizes the importance of noting down the API key, which will be necessary for the coding process. The video then transitions to using PowerShell on Windows to integrate the library for the project via vcpkg, a Microsoft package manager. It provides step-by-step instructions on installing the necessary library and integrating it into the project, including the inclusion of 'curl.h' in the header file. The process of opening an audio file and preparing the audio data for conversion is also detailed, with a focus on using 'curl' for data transfer and setting up the appropriate headers and authorization for the IBM Cloud service.

Mindmap

Keywords

πŸ’‘IBM Watson

IBM Watson is a suite of artificial intelligence technologies developed by IBM. It is designed to enable businesses to make use of the burgeoning capabilities of AI. In the context of the video, IBM Watson's 'Speech to Text' service is utilized to convert spoken language into written text programmatically. This service is accessed through the IBM Cloud, which is IBM's cloud computing platform.

πŸ’‘Cloud Computing

Cloud computing refers to the delivery of computing services, including storage, processing power, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence, over the internet. In the video, cloud computing is used to access IBM Watson's Speech to Text service, which allows for the conversion of speech to text without the need for local processing power or storage.

πŸ’‘API Key

An API key is a unique identifier used to authenticate a user, developer, or calling program to an API (Application Programming Interface). In the video script, the API key is noted down from the URL after selecting the 'Speech to Text' service on the IBM Cloud. This key is essential for the code to access and use the service programmatically.

πŸ’‘VCPKG

VCPKG is an open-source software management system that can be used to manage libraries and runtime components on various platforms. In the script, VCPKG is used to install 'libgirl', which is a library that facilitates the integration of the IBM Watson Speech to Text service into the project. The command 'vcpkg install libgirl x64 windows' is used to complete the installation.

πŸ’‘CURL

CURL is a command-line tool and library for transferring data with URLs. It supports a range of protocols including HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, and more. In the video, CURL is used to send the audio data to the IBM Watson Speech to Text service. The script mentions using CURL to set the URL, format of the audio, and to pass the API key and audio data to the server.

πŸ’‘Audio Data

Audio data refers to the digital representation of sound waves that have been recorded and can be played back or processed. In the context of the video, the audio data is the content of the file 'test.og', which is opened in binary mode and read into a vector for processing by the IBM Watson service.

πŸ’‘Binary Mode

Binary mode is a method of opening a file where the file is read as a sequence of bytes without any interpretation of the data. In the script, the input audio file 'test.og' is opened in binary mode to ensure that the raw audio data is read correctly for processing by the Speech to Text service.

πŸ’‘JSON

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight data-interchange format that is easy for humans to read and write and easy for machines to parse and generate. In the video, the output from the IBM Watson Speech to Text service is in JSON format, which allows for structured and readable representation of the transcribed text.

πŸ’‘POST Field

In the context of HTTP requests, a POST field is a piece of data sent to a server as part of a POST request. In the script, the size of the audio data and a pointer to the audio data are specified using 'curl_opt_post_field_size' and 'curl_opt_post_fields' to send the data to the IBM Watson service.

πŸ’‘Authorization Mode

Authorization mode refers to the method by which a client proves its identity when making a request to a server. In the video script, the server is instructed to allow any type of authorization mode, which likely means that the server will accept the API key provided for authentication purposes.

πŸ’‘C++

C++ is a general-purpose programming language that is widely used for developing operating systems, browsers, games, and many other types of applications. The video is specifically about using C++ to interface with the IBM Watson cloud AI service for converting speech to text.

Highlights

The video demonstrates how to convert speech to text using cloud computing.

Create an IBM Cloud account and navigate to the 'Resource List'.

Select 'Speech to Text' service and choose 'London' as the location.

Note down the API key from the URL for use in the code.

Open PowerShell and use VCPKG to integrate the library to the project.

Install 'libgirl x64 windows' using VCPKG.

Include 'curl.h' in the header for the input audio file.

Open the input audio file 'test.og' in binary mode.

Use 'ifstream' to copy the file content to a vector.

Casting the vector's data to a char pointer for audio data.

CURL stands for Client URL and is used for data transfer using network protocols.

Initialize a 'struct curl_slist' header variable and a CURL handle.

Set the audio format and append it to the header using CURL functions.

Configure CURL to allow any authorization mode and pass the API key.

Specify the size of the audio data and the pointer using CURL options.

Send the CURL command to the server and expect a 'CURL OK' response.

Clean up the memory with 'curl_easy_cleanup' after the operation.

The output text in JSON format shows the transcripts.

API key values in the code have been changed for security reasons.

The video concludes with a reminder to like and subscribe.