Three-dimensional modeling of tongue during speech using MRI data

• Type: Article in International Conference Proceedings Book
• Date: 2008

Authors

Sandra Rua Ventura (Author) Other; Diamantino Rui Freitas (Author) FEUP; João Manuel R. S. Tavares (Author) FEUP

Conference proceedings International

Title: CMBBE 2008

8th International Symposium on Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering

Sheraton Hotel, Porto, Portugal, February 27th - March 1st 2008

Scientific classification

CORDIS: Technological sciences > Engineering

Other information

Abstract (EN): The tongue is the most important and dynamic articulator for speech formation, because of its anatomic aspects (particularly, the large volume of this muscular organ comparatively to the surrounding organs of the vocal tract) and also due to the wide range of movements and flexibility that it presents. In speech communication research, a variety of techniques have been used for measuring the three-dimensional vocal tract shapes. More recently, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) becomes common; mainly, because this technique allows the collection of a set of static and dynamic images that can represent the entire vocal tract along any orientation. Over the years, different anatomical organs of the vocal tract have been modelled; namely 2D and 3D tongue models, using parametric or statistical modelling procedures. Our aims are to present and describe some 3D reconstructed models from MRI data, for one subject uttering sustained articulations of some typical Portuguese sounds. Thus, we will present a 3D database of the tongue obtained by stack combinations with the subject articulating the Portuguese vowels. These 3D knowledge of the speech organs could be very important; especially, for clinical purposes (for example, for the assessment of articulatory impairments followed by tongue surgery in speech rehabilitation), and also for a better understanding of acoustic theory in speech formation.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 6