soft pad that can convert neck muscle movements into speech
A soft pad that can convert the movements of the neck muscles into speech with the help of machine learning is described in a journal publication Nature Communications.
About 30% of the general population will experience at least one voice disorder during their lifetime. Despite this fact, existing solutions are either invasive or inconvenient and there is a need to develop a portable, non-invasive medical device capable of assisting patients in communication.
The research team designed a soft magnetoelastic patch that adheres to the neck and changes shape as the neck muscles associated with speech move, without requiring the vocal folds to function. The movement of the pad detects specific muscle movements and also generates energy allowing the device to power itself. These movements are then converted into electrical signals and processed by a machine learning algorithm that has been trained to recognize words and translate them into speech signals, the EIA said.
The researchers note that with further development and patient testing, the device could potentially help some patients with voice disorders communicate effectively.
