Time-domain acoustic simulation of the human vocal-tract with side-branches
By mathematically reformulating Maeda's well-known one-dimensional (1-D) time-domain model of vocal-tract acoustics, we extended it to allow any number of internal side-branches such as the bilateral piriform fossae, thus potentially enabling more natural-sounding articulatory synthesis of speech.
Vocal-tract shape estimation from vocalized acoustics
Thanks to non-invasive measurement of vocal-tract shapes by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we developed an inversion model — implemented as a real-time demo — to calculate and display the normally invisible shape of the human vocal tract during vocalization, from standard acoustic parameters.
By considering the entire shape of individual glottal pulses extracted from acoustic recordings, rather than imposing pre-defined mathematical constraints on possible waveshapes, we derived a more holistic model that has the potential for parametric control of glottal flow across a wide range of voice qualities.
A freely downloadable dataset of carefully measured vowel formant patterns (including the first 4 formant frequencies and bandwidths) from 5 adult, male, native speakers of Japanese. The paper and documentation are also available.
