J-058

Proposal and Evaluation of the Artificial Larynx Using PZT Ceramics Vibrator as Sound Source

Authors: Katsutoshi Ooe*, Toshio Fukuda** and Fumihito Arai*
Affiliation: *Dept. of Micro System Engineering, Nagoya University
**Center of Cooperative Research Center in Advanced Science & Technology, Nagoya University

Abstract
Various speech production substitutes which aim to reconstruct speech function have been developed and used practically, for vocalize handicapped persons. But speech production substitutes used presently have problems, they have been hoped that perfect speech production substitutes are developed. We paid attention to PZT ceramics vibrator as a sound source of an artificial larynx. We tried to produce the artificial larynx which uses PZT ceramics vibrator, and we evaluated its performance. The power spectrum of produced artificial larynx user's voice is similar to that of no handicapped person's voice. The vocalized sound of produced artificial larynx user shows good characteristics at formant frequency with the role which is important for the vowel discrimination. Based on the result of listening estimation, this voice has good clearness. We hope that the proposed artificial larynx will be widely used in the future

Katsutoshi Ooe, Fumihito Arai
Dept. of Micro System Engineering, Nagoya University
Furo-cho 1, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-0814, JAPAN
Phone: +81-52-789-4481, FAX: +81-52-789-3909
ooe@robo.mein.nagoya-u.ac.jp
arai@mein.nagoya-u.ac.jp

Toshio Fukuda
Center of Cooperative Research Center in Advanced Science & Technology,
Nagoya University
Phone: +81-52-789-4478, FAX: +81-52-789-3909
fukuda@mein.nagoya-u.ac.jp