Honeywell Awarded U.S. Government Contract To Develop Technology That Anonymizes Speech In Real Time

PHOENIX, February 11, 2025 – Honeywell (NASDAQ: HON) has been awarded a multi-million dollar contract by the U.S. government’s Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) to spearhead the development of groundbreaking technology that is being designed to help anonymize speech in real time. As part of IARPA’s Anonymous Real-Time Speech (ARTS) program, Honeywell’s novel technology will aim to safeguard users from unintended speech signals and support real-time communication in industries such as aviation.

Honeywell is creating a system, known as Real-time Anonymization & Speech Protection (RASP), that will operate in real time as individuals speak. By anonymizing speech, RASP is designed to help address the growing risk of exploitation and privacy threats that may be associated with devices such as smartphones, digital assistants, televisions and smart appliances that contain microphones that may be perpetually listening. It will aim to protect an individual’s identity, as well as attributes like dialect, gender and age, along with dynamic traits such as fear, stress and anger.

To develop RASP, Honeywell will lead a team that includes experts from the University of Rochester, Texas A&M University and University of Texas-Dallas.

The development of this new technology supports Honeywell’s alignment of its portfolio to three compelling megatrends, including automation and the future of aviation.

“With voice technology becoming commonplace in every home, office and public space, our voices can reveal key information about our identity and emotions that may not be appropriate for others to know. Until now, no one has been able to anonymize speech in real time while also making it easy to understand,” said Dr. Tor Finseth, principal investigator, RASP, Honeywell Aerospace Technologies. “Through our RASP system, Honeywell aims to meet U.S. government requirements to protect against speaker identification tools, human listeners, and machine learning assessments. We also aim to improve anonymous speech latency, understandability, and naturalness.”

The ARTS program is IARPA’s three-year effort to research and develop new speech technologies. The program will initially focus on the English language, followed by Spanish and other spoken languages.

Honeywell anticipates many use cases that could benefit from its RASP technology, including in aviation where it could help reduce the language barrier between pilots, air traffic control and autonomous systems. The new technology could convert a heavily accented speaker’s dialogue into the preferred dialect for the listener, helping to improve communication during international flights. This could result in fewer pilot/controller read backs and miscommunications and, by extension, safer flights.

About Honeywell

Products and services from Honeywell Aerospace Technologies are found on virtually every commercial, defense and space aircraft, and in many terrestrial systems. The Aerospace Technologies business unit builds aircraft engines, cockpit and cabin electronics, wireless connectivity systems, mechanical components, power systems, and more. Its hardware and software solutions create more fuel-efficient aircraft, more direct and on-time flights and safer skies and airports. For more information, visit aerospace.honeywell.com or follow Honeywell Aerospace Technologies on LinkedIn.

Honeywell is an integrated operating company serving a broad range of industries and geographies around the world. Our business is aligned with three powerful megatrends – automation, the future of aviation and energy transition – underpinned by our Honeywell Accelerator operating system and Honeywell Forge IoT platform. As a trusted partner, we help organizations solve the world’s toughest, most complex challenges, providing actionable solutions and innovations through our Aerospace Technologies, Industrial Automation, Building Automation and Energy and Sustainability Solutions business segments that help make the world smarter and safer as well as more secure and sustainable. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom.