Voice alias management is done in the web app only. The iPad Room Mode consumes aliases but doesn’t provide a settings UI for managing them.
How aliases work
When someone speaks a command in Room Mode, ORbit checks the alias dictionary for an exact match. If found, the command executes instantly with no network call. If no match is found, the command is sent to an AI classifier for interpretation.Alias types
Milestone aliases
Map a phrase to a specific milestone action:| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Phrase | The spoken text to match (e.g., “patient in room”) |
| Milestone | The facility milestone this maps to |
| Action | record (stamp timestamp) or cancel (clear timestamp) |
General command aliases
Map a phrase to a system action (no milestone association):| Action type | Purpose | Example phrases |
|---|---|---|
undo_last | Undo the most recent voice-recorded milestone | ”undo”, “undo that”, “take that back” |
next_patient | Trigger call-next-patient workflow | ”next patient”, “call the next patient” |
surgeon_left | Mark surgeon as departed | ”surgeon left”, “the surgeon has left” |
confirm_pending | Confirm a pending out-of-order command | ”confirm”, “yes”, “go ahead” |
cancel_pending | Cancel a pending command | ”cancel”, “no”, “never mind” |
start_cement_timer | Start the cement timer overlay | ”start a cement timer” |
stop_cement_timer | Stop and dismiss the cement timer | ”stop the cement timer” |
Managing aliases
Viewing aliases
Navigate to Settings → Voice Commands to see all aliases for your facility. The table shows:- Phrase — the spoken text
- Milestone — which milestone it maps to (blank for general commands)
- Action — record, cancel, or general command type
- Source — manually created or auto-learned
- Status — active or inactive
Adding aliases
- Click Add Alias
- Select the action type (record, cancel, or a general command)
- For milestone actions, select the target milestone
- Enter the phrase — this should be lowercase, without punctuation, and without the “Orbit” wake word
- Save
Deleting aliases
Click the delete button on any alias row. Auto-learned aliases can be freely deleted — they’ll be re-learned if the same phrase is spoken again with high AI confidence.Auto-learning
When ORbit’s AI classifier recognizes a new phrase with high confidence (85%+), it automatically:- Saves the phrase as a new alias tagged
auto_learned = true - Strips the “Orbit” wake word prefix (so “Orbit, the patient is ready” becomes “the patient is ready”)
- Scopes it to the current facility
- Adds it to the local dictionary immediately — the next use is an instant match
What triggers auto-learning
| Condition | Auto-learns? |
|---|---|
AI confidence ≥ 85% and shouldCache = true | Yes |
| AI confidence 50-84% (user confirmed) | No — confirmation doesn’t trigger auto-learn |
| AI confidence < 50% (rejected) | No |
| Phrase already exists as an alias | No — deduplication prevents duplicates |
Facility scoping
All aliases are scoped to a facility. Each facility can have its own set of aliases reflecting local terminology and workflow preferences. When a user opens Room Mode, only aliases for the current facility are loaded.Best practices
Start with seed aliases
Every new facility gets a set of default aliases from the milestone template. These cover the most common phrases for each milestone.
Let auto-learning do the work
Use voice commands naturally for the first few days. ORbit will auto-learn your team’s preferred phrasing. Review the auto-learned aliases in settings and delete any that don’t make sense.
Add common variations manually
If your team uses specific terminology (e.g., “knife to skin” for incision), add it manually so it matches on the first try.
FAQ
Do aliases sync across devices?
Do aliases sync across devices?
Yes. Aliases are stored in the Supabase database and sync across all iPads at the same facility. An alias added on one device is available on all devices.
Are aliases case-sensitive?
Are aliases case-sensitive?
No. All phrases are normalized to lowercase before matching. “Patient In”, “patient in”, and “PATIENT IN” all match the same alias.
Can I have the same phrase for different milestones?
Can I have the same phrase for different milestones?
No. Each phrase must be unique within a facility. The system enforces this with a database constraint to prevent ambiguous matches.
What happens if I delete an auto-learned alias?
What happens if I delete an auto-learned alias?
The phrase will no longer match instantly. If someone says it again, it will go through AI classification and may be auto-learned again if the AI classifies it with high confidence.
Next steps
Voice commands guide
Learn how to use voice commands in Room Mode.
Milestone settings
Configure milestone templates and ordering.