Posted 12.03.2009 at 1:28 pm
11 Comments
For decades, people with vocal cord problems could only hope to communicate in the cold, robotic voice provided by a mechanical larynx. The search for a more lifelike, and individualized, voice has gone on for some time, but scientists from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, have finally designed a device that approximates actual speech in people with damaged larynges. The artificial larynx recognizes what the user is saying by monitoring mouth movement, and then uses a speech synthesizer to produce the correct words.
The Palatometer: via Technology Review
Other institutions, notably the University of Hull in England, have also developed similar devices. However, the palatometer is the only such invention that operates without any kind of surgical implant. The downside of the South African device, however, is a 0.3-second delay between when the tongue and mouth move, and when the computer calculates the right word. This leaves the mouth and the voice out of sync, giving the user the appearance of being dubbed over in a bad kung-fu movie.
The South African team needs to iron out kinks like the delay before the device can hit the market. But considering the pace their moving at, it shouldn't be long before the only people speaking with robot voices are Peter Frampton and Kanye.
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This is a great piece of technology. One day I guessing someone will come up with one that interprets speech while it is still being formed in the brain there by completely eliminating lag and also allowing for universal translation.
lol love the Kanye zinger...gay fish
This is awesome, but I need to be a grammer Nazi for a moment. In the final sentence the "their" is supposed to be a they're. Sorry for being pretensious.
Do you think that that can be used to help the totally mute, not only the people with damaged larynxes?
Can that work in dogs? Right now, I can hardly understand my boxer.
@JamesDavis wow dumbbutt lol
this is cool
As a total laryngectomee for the past 9 years I hope that this technology will continue to improve. Yes I sound like Darth Vader but I hold a full time job that requires frequent courtroom tesitmony etc. I am sure that other "larys" like myself would cherish the chance to heard in their own "natural" voice again. Try explaining to the grandkids why PaPa speaks the way he does. Perhaps someday but for now I am thankful for what I have.
Mike
PS: to James Davis, I can understand why your boxer doesn't listen to you. He's smarter than you.
@ the last 2... i seriously hope you are kidding when you are harping on james for his boxer comment. if you are, alright. if not, then you are seriously stupid.
it would be interesting to fit it to a dog, but i'm sure that all you'd hear would be an amplified "bark, bark". my question is how easy it is to put in somebody. if it is easy (like you could do it yourself) this could be an advancement in voice scrambling. imagine calling your friend with some hot chicks voice just to mess with him. :)
@thor 0097
Don`t you think your comment was a little "Pretentious"?
"American" is NOT an internationally recognized language I`m afraid...
This new artificial larynx will bring many products of this. http://www.amerisleep.com/