INTELLIGIBILITY OF ELECTROLARYNX SPEECH USING A NOVEL HANDS-FREE ACTUATOR

Brian Madden, Mark Nolan, Edward Burke, James Condron, Eugene Coyle

2011

Abstract

During voiced speech, the larynx provides quasi-periodic acoustic excitation of the vocal tract. In most electrolarynxes, mechanical vibrations are produced by a linear electromechanical actuator, the armature of which percusses against a metal or plastic plate at a frequency within the range of glottal excitation. In this paper, the intelligibility of speech produced using a novel hands-free actuator is compared to speech produced using a conventional electrolarynx. Two able-bodied speakers (one male, one female) performed a closed response test containing 28 monosyllabic words, once using a conventional electrolarynx and a second time using the novel design. The resulting audio recordings were randomized and replayed to ten listeners who recorded each word that they heard. The results show that the speech produced using the hands-free actuator was substantially more intelligible to the majority of listeners than that produced using the conventional electrolarynx. The new actuator has properties (size, weight, shape, cost) which lends itself as a suitable candidate for possible hands-free operation. This is one of the research ideals for the group and this test methodology presented as a means of testing intelligibility. This paper outlines the procedure for the possible testing of intelligibility of electrolarynx designs.

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Paper Citation


in Harvard Style

Madden B., Nolan M., Burke E., Condron J. and Coyle E. (2011). INTELLIGIBILITY OF ELECTROLARYNX SPEECH USING A NOVEL HANDS-FREE ACTUATOR . In Proceedings of the International Conference on Bio-inspired Systems and Signal Processing - Volume 1: BIOSIGNALS, (BIOSTEC 2011) ISBN 978-989-8425-35-5, pages 265-269. DOI: 10.5220/0003167902650269


in Bibtex Style

@conference{biosignals11,
author={Brian Madden and Mark Nolan and Edward Burke and James Condron and Eugene Coyle},
title={INTELLIGIBILITY OF ELECTROLARYNX SPEECH USING A NOVEL HANDS-FREE ACTUATOR},
booktitle={Proceedings of the International Conference on Bio-inspired Systems and Signal Processing - Volume 1: BIOSIGNALS, (BIOSTEC 2011)},
year={2011},
pages={265-269},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={10.5220/0003167902650269},
isbn={978-989-8425-35-5},
}


in EndNote Style

TY - CONF
JO - Proceedings of the International Conference on Bio-inspired Systems and Signal Processing - Volume 1: BIOSIGNALS, (BIOSTEC 2011)
TI - INTELLIGIBILITY OF ELECTROLARYNX SPEECH USING A NOVEL HANDS-FREE ACTUATOR
SN - 978-989-8425-35-5
AU - Madden B.
AU - Nolan M.
AU - Burke E.
AU - Condron J.
AU - Coyle E.
PY - 2011
SP - 265
EP - 269
DO - 10.5220/0003167902650269