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UF Health University of Florida

Laboratory for the study of Cognition, Action, & Perception of Speech

College of Public Health & Health Professions

Electromagnetic Articulography

Electromagnetic articulography (EMA) is a state-of-the-art technology that allows CAPS researchers to track articulatory movements within the inner reaches of the vocal tract on a millisecond-by-millisecond basis and localize where in the vocal tract the movements occur.  The tracking is performed by using a magnetic field to localize the positions of transducers temporarily attached to the articulators (i.e., the lips, tongue and jaw) during speaking.  
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Mark Tiede, a Senior Scientist at Haskins Laboratories (New Haven, CT), has developed MVIEW, a Matlab-based software for processing, visualizing and analyzing articulatory kinematic and acoustic data; CAPS researchers use this software in kinematic studies of speech production.  You can learn more about EMA methods in the brief video below (from the Center for Research on Brain, Language, & Music at McGill University).  EMA-pics

 

For a brief history on EMA in speech research, check out this presentation from the 12th International Seminar on Speech Production: