Celia Whisper (2024)

Hands-free voice assistant interaction via raise-to-speak gesture, shipped on Huawei flagship devices.

Celia Whisper

Celia Whisper is a hands-free voice assistant interaction mode that I led the development of at Huawei. It enables users to issue voice commands to Huawei's AI assistant without speaking the traditional wake word, by simply raising the phone close to the mouth.

Celia Whisper Cover

Demo Video

Celia Whisper interaction demo. Direct video link.

How It Works

The system combines on-body sensing with proximity detection: when the user lifts the phone with the microphone positioned within 5cm of the mouth, voice processing is automatically activated. This eliminates the need for verbal wake phrases, enabling natural and discreet voice interaction.

Key Features

  • Wake-word-free activation: Raise-to-speak gesture replaces the traditional "Hey Celia" wake word.
  • Quiet environment usage: Designed for scenarios requiring silence, such as libraries, meetings, and theaters.
  • Adaptive volume response: The assistant's reply volume automatically adjusts based on detected user voice levels.
  • Whisper support: Users can speak in either normal or whispered tones.

Gallery

Feature Intro Usage Scenario Whisper Mode

Official Images (Huawei Support)

Huawei Support Image 1 Huawei Support Image 2

Supported Devices

  • Mate Series: Mate 70 / 70 Pro / 70 Pro+, Mate 80 / 80 Pro / 80 Pro Max, Mate X6 / X7.
  • Pura Series: Pura X, Pura 80 Pro / Pro+ / Ultra.
  • Requires HarmonyOS 5.0 or later.

Links