Direct Measurement of the Vocal Tract

Direct measurement of vocal tract shape - articulography

Three-dimensional measurement of the vocal tract by MRI

Recent studies have shown that MRI techniques are reliable to measure mid-sagittal cuts of the vocal tract. Three-dimensional images of the vocal tract have been proposed e.g. by Foldvick et al. [6], [7] but despite this advance, these images do not offer any accurate measurement of sagittal cuts or area functions. Advance in MRI performances allows to collect data much faster and with a better...

A method for measurement of the vocal tract mouth impedance

In this contribution a novel method is presented, allowing the detection of resonance frequencies of an externally excited vocal tract in a fast and robust non-invasive manner. The method can be applied alternatively to linear prediction coding (LPC) analysis for patients with voice and speech disorders. Sweep signals are emitted and recorded simultaneously from the small end of a tube that is ...

The Vocal Tract in Singing

Precise control of the vocal tract configuration is of critical importance for producing the desired acoustic characteristics of singing. The pattern of acoustic resonances generated by a given vocal tract shape influences vowel identity, voice quality (timbre), and, to some degree, the spectral characteristics of the voice excitation source itself. This chapter is broadly focused on how the vo...

Statistical methods for estimation of direct and differential kinematics of the vocal tract

We present and evaluate two statistical methods for estimating kinematic relationships of the speech production system: Artificial Neural Networks and Locally-Weighted Regression. The work is motivated by the need to characterize this motor system, with particular focus on estimating differential aspects of kinematics. Kinematic analysis will facilitate progress in a variety of areas, including...