title: Analyses of vocal tract cross-distance to area mapping: an investigation of a set of vowel images.
abstract: Traditional models of mappings from midsagittal cross-distances to cross-sectional areas use only local cross-distance information. These are not the optimal models on which to base the construction of a mapping between the two domains. This can be understood because phonemic identity can affect the relation between local cross-distance and cross-sectional area. However, phonemic identity is not an appropriate independent variable for the control of an articulatory synthesizer. Two alternative approaches for constructing cross-distance to area mappings that can be used for articulatory synthesis are presented. One is a vowel height-sensitive model and the other is a non-parametric model called loess. These depend on global cross-distance information and generally perform better than the traditional models.
authors.affiliation: CReSS LLC, 1 Seaborn Place, Lexington, Massachusetts 02420, USA. rsmcgowan@cressllc.net
authors.forename: Richard S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: McGowan
authors.forename: Michel T-T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Berger
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010159:Palate / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D010614:Pharynx / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D010700:Phonetics; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013060:Speech / Q000502:physiology*; D014059:Tongue / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D014827:Vocal Cords / Q000033:anatomy & histology*