Panel discussion on Ultrasound Tongue Imaging (UTI) for phonetics and speech technology
* Presenting author
Abstract:
Ultrasound Tongue Imaging (UTI) was developed within articulatory phonetics to study real-time tongue movements during speech. In addition to analyses of articulatory phonetics, the UTI technique is also well suited for technological, educational and clinical applications. Interesting technical applications are silent speech interfaces, which allow for speech communication without audible vocalization. To enable this the problem of acoustic-to-articulatory mapping has to be solved. In phonetics the UTI technique has been used to analyse articulatory gestures in studies of language acquisition and sound change. Recently also new stabilising headsets have been developed that are mobile and user-friendly and thereby enable easier investigations with UTI. In this panel we want to discuss the current and future usage of the UTI technique in phonetics and speech technology, which problems have to be solved, and which potential new research fields are developing.