XMOS snaps up signal separation pioneer Setem Technologies
XMOS has acquired Setem Technologies, the pioneer of Advanced Blind Source Signal Separation technology. Setem’s patented algorithms enable consumer devices to focus on specific voice or conversation within a crowded audio environment to achieve optimised input into speech recognition systems.
"The acquisition of Setem allows us to extend the development and deployment of world-leading algorithms capable of driving the rapid adoption of voice user interfaces. The Setem team is world class, passionate about innovation, and we are delighted to welcome them to the XMOS family," said Mark Lippett, president and CEO, XMOS.
“We are excited about joining forces with XMOS,” commented Jochen Meissner, Setem CEO, who will become General Manager of the XMOS Boston office and join the XMOS Board of Directors. “We have been working with XMOS for over 18 months, and have concluded that the xCORE architecture is the perfect match for our patented algorithms. We look forward to continued success as part of this exciting company.”
One of the key challenges for voice interfaces is the requirement to focus on a single conversation in a noisy environment, often called the Cocktail Party Problem.
The combination of Setem’s sound separation technologies with XMOS’ flexible multicore processors promises to deliver solutions that solve this problem, while making it faster and easier for OEMs to deliver voice-enabled products to market.