BBC Developing Audio ‘Pilot’ for Voice Devices That Lets Users Play Story Role

BBC R&D is working to develop an “original interactive audio drama pilot” for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice devices that lets users “actively” play a role in the story using their own voices, said the broadcaster in a Wednesday blog post. Using a story developed with Rosina Sound, a London-based audio entertainment specialist agency, “we wanted to make it feel like you’re having a genuine, direct interaction with the other characters in the piece,” wrote BBC R&D producer Henry Cooke. “We haven’t come across any other interactive stories like this on voice devices, and we’re excited to see how people respond.” BBC R&D built a “story engine” that will allow the pilot to be released “across different voice devices,” he said. In addition to starting with Alexa and Google Assistant, “we’ve got the potential to add to that roster of devices” that includes Apple’s HomePod or the Invoke smart speaker from Microsoft and Harman Kardon, he said. “As far as we know, there aren’t many people developing cross-platform voice experiences in this way.” The pilot will be released before year-end on BBC Taster, BBC’s website for floating and testing new content and technology ideas to the public, he said.