Head-Probe stabilisation in ultrasound tongue imaging using a headset to permit natural head movement.

摘要

Translation and rotation movements of anudultrasound probe relative to the speaker’s headudinduce error. We examine one means of reducingudsuch errors, the headset stabilising system made byudArticulate Instruments Ltd., using a Vicon 612 3Dudmotion analysis system during and between episodesudof speech. Probe movements relative to the head ofudthe speaker were derived. The headset restrictedudunwanted movement to the midsagittal plane evenudthough a speaker was free to move the head naturallyudduring utterances. Stressed low vowels moved theudprobe dynamically within this plane by as much asud10mm in extreme cases before it returned to near itsudoriginal position. Long-term slippage ranged fromud1.4mm to 2.9mm and is within acceptable limits.