First wearable device for vocal fatigue senses when your voice needs a break northwesternu PNASNews
Developed by an interdisciplinary team of materials scientists, biomedical engineers, opera singers and a speech-language pathologist, the research behind the new technology will be published during the week of Feb. 20 in theThe soft, flexible, postage-stamp-sized device comfortably adheres to the upper chest to sense the subtle vibrations associated with talking and singing.
"It's easy for people to forget how much they use their voice," said Northwestern's Theresa Brancaccio, a voice expert who co-led the study."Seasoned classical singers tend to be more aware of their vocal usage because they have lived and learned. But some people—especially singers with less training or people, like teachers, politicians and sports coaches, who must speak a lot for their jobs—often don't realize how much they are pushing it.
"What leads people into trouble is when events stack up," Brancaccio said."They might have rehearsals, teach lessons, talk during class discussions and then go to a loud party, where they have to yell over the background noise. Then, throw a cold or illness into the mix. People have no idea how much they are coughing or clearing their throats. When these events stack up for days, that can put major stress on the voice.
A Northwestern University opera student demonstrates the device during a performance. Credit: Northwestern University The resulting algorithm can separate singing from speaking with more than 95% accuracy. And, when used in a choir setting, the device captures only data from the wearer and not noise from nearby singers.
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