Arai Lab. Newsletter 2009

Takayuki Arai

 

1. Conferences

1.1 IEEE

I joined the SLTC (Speech and Language Technical Committee) of the IEEE Signal Processing Society from 2010, and a member of the review committee of the international conference, ICASSP, from 2009.

 

1.2 INTERSPEECH

Three research papers were presented at “INTERSPEECH”, an international conference on speech communication, which was held in Brighton, England [2009_09, 2009_10, 2009_11]. I also engaged in the reviewing process as a member of the Scientific Review Committee. The conference had set up the “Public Exhibition” booth this year, in which I demonstrated the vocal-tract models. Professor Roger Moore (University of Sheffield), the chair of this year’s conference, had asked me at the previous year’s conference in Brisbane, to participate and to make a demonstration. Our plan was realized, and I was able to demonstrate the vocal-tract models at the conference, and also to Mayor Brighton & Hove. The footage of the demonstration was shown at the Opening Ceremony of the conference as well.

 


Public Exhibition at INTERSPEECH 2009

 

I also visited two universities before and after the conference. I paid my first visit to the University College London, and looked around the laboratories, and gave the talk “A replication of Chiba and Kajiyama's mechanical models of the human vocal-tract and their application for education in speech science” in the Speech Science Forum. I was also able to meet Professor Stuart Rosen and Professor Peter Howell, the authors of the book “Signals and Systems for Speech and Hearing” that I supervised and took a part in its translation to Japanese, and discussed about the publication of its second edition. I also visited the University of Cambridge and was able to meet Professor Patterson (Professor Irino had also been paying a visit at that time). I had a chance to demonstrate the vocal-tract models, and looked around the campus.

 


Professor Patterson’s laboratory at the University of Cambridge

 

 

INTERSPEECH 2010, which is to be held in Japan (Makuhari), is approaching, and its preparation is going smoothly (I am in charge of the Finance Committee).

 

1.3 Beginners’ Seminar at ASJ

I participated in the Summer Seminar held at Hakuba as an organizing committee and lecturer. The Summer Seminar has been held as a part of the Beginners’ Seminar since 2008. I was in charge of the lecture concerning speech, and also demonstrated the vocal-tract models. I also included an activity of making a vocal-tract model using a pipe and film canisters with the participants.

 

I also took part in the Beginners’ Seminar at the Spring Meeting of the ASJ in 2009, and lectured and demonstrated what I had been doing at Hakuba every year. I conducted a small lecture on the basics of speech and its demonstration, as well as the activity of making a vocal-tract model.

 

1.4 Editorial Committee of ASJ

I have been engaged in the Editorial Committee of the Journal of the ASJ and Acoustical Science and Technology (AST) since 2005.

 

1.4.1 Special Issue on Acoustic Barrier-Free in the Journal of the ASJ

The special issue on “Considering Acoustic Barrier-Free” which I took part as a member of the Research Committee on Acoustic Barrier-Free, was published and appeared on the Journal of the ASJ, Volume 65, Number 3. I wrote the foreword [2009_05] as an editorial committee member, as well as writing the review article on barrier-free concerning speech [2009_06].

 

1.4.2 Serial column “Exhibits and Demonstrations on Acoustics in Science Museums” in the Journal of the ASJ

The serial column “Exhibits and Demonstrations on Acoustics in Science Museums” marked its start in December 2006, with the Research Committee on Education in Acoustics of the ASJ playing the central role, and I continue to coordinate various articles as a member of the Editorial Committee.

 

Homepage of the serial column “Exhibits and Demonstrations on Acoustics in Science Museums” of the Journal of the ASJ:

http://www.asj.gr.jp/journal/museum.html

 

1.5 Research Committee on Education in Acoustics of the ASJ

I had been a member of the Research Committee on Education in Acoustics of the ASJ since 2003, and its chair since 2005. I continue to make effort in approaching various challenges as the chair.

 

1.5.1 Meeting on Education in Acoustics

“The Meeting on Education in Acoustics”, sponsored by the Committee, was held twice in 2009. The first meeting was held in April 2009 as a joint meeting with the Committee of Speech at the Kikai Shinko Kaikan. The second meeting was held in October 2009 as a joint meeting with the Committee of Noise and Vibration at Tohoku Bunka Gakuen University.

 

1.5.2 Collaboration with Museums

Continuing from 2006, “Science Workshop on Sound: Wonderful World of Sounds; Let’s Create Our Voice” was held at the National Museum of Nature and Science in October 2009. The workshop was co-hosted by ASJ, and received generous support from the volunteers of the Research Committee on Education in Acoustics.

 

Continuing from 2007, Research Committee on Education in Acoustics booth “Let’s get to know sound and vibration” booth was exhibited at Science Square in August 2009. Please refer to Newsletter 2007 for details of the contents, as they are similar to those conducted in 2007 – 2008, as well as the report presented at the Meeting of the ASJ as a member of the committee [2009_24].

 

1.5.3 Special Issue in the Journal of the ASJ

The syllabus investigation concerning acoustics conducted by the Research Committee on Education in Acoustics appeared on the Journal of the ASJ, Volume 65, Number 5 [2009_07].

 

1.5.4 Serial Column “Exhibits and Demonstrations on Acoustics in Science Museums” in the Journal of the ASJ

This project is mainly directed by the Research Committee on Education in Acoustics (See Section 1.4.2).

 

1.5.5 2009 ASJ Spring Meeting

As previously mentioned, the Beginners’ Seminar had been held in the meeting at Waseda University, and I participated as one of the lecturers (See Section 1.3). I lectured and demonstrated on education in acoustics concerning speech science, and also included an activity of making a vocal-tract model.

 

The regular session on Education in Acoustics has been incorporated in the main program at the Fall Meeting of the ASJ 2008. The session delivered 8 talks at the Spring Meeting of the ASJ, and I participated as the chair in the latter half of the session. Please refer to [2009_25] for further information on my talk.

 

1.5.6 2009 ASJ Fall Meeting

The regular session on Education in Acoustics delivered 5 talks. Please refer to [2009_36] for more information on my collaborated work.

 

1.6 Research Committee on Acoustic Barrier-Free, ASJ

Research Committee on Acoustic Barrier-Free was established in 2006, and I have been serving as a committee member representing the research field of speech.

 

1.6.1 2009 ASJ Fall Meeting

The special session “Difficulty of speech perception in real world and its evaluation methods” took place in the Fall Meeting of the ASJ 2009, and I served as the chair in a part of the session.

 

1.6.2 Special Issue in the Journal of the ASJ

As previously mentioned, the special issue, with the collaboration of the Research Committee on Acoustic Barrier-Free, appeared on the Journal of the ASJ, Volume 65, Number 3 (See Section 1.4.1).

 

1.7 International Public Relations Committee of the ASJ

I have been serving as a committee member since 2005.

 

1.8 Phonetic Society of Japan (PSJ)

I continued to serve as the councilor and the member of the Planning Committee. I have also been the co-chair of the Public Relations Committee since 2007.

 

1.9 The Japan Society of Logopedics and Phoniatrics

I served as the chair at the “Voice” session in the Academic Meeting held in Fukushima in October 2009.

 

2. Education in Acoustics, Vocal-Tract Models

2.1 Continuously evolving vocal-tract models

As previously mentioned, an activity of the sliding vocal-tract model was conducted at the Beginners’ Seminar of the ASJ (Section 1.3) and at the science workshop at the National Museum of Nature and Science (Section 1.5.2). The activity is modified every year and has shown improvement. Please refer to [2009_09] for further information on the analyses of the sliding vocal-tract model. Please refer to [2009_10, 2009_14] for the connected-tube models, which have the simplified vocal-tract shapes. Please refer to [2009_25] for information on the booth exhibited at the SONY ExploraScience (please also refer to Newsletter 2008 for further information about the booth).

 

2.2 Hitachi Civic Center Science Museum

The Science Museum in the Hitachi Civic Center, located in Hitachi City in Ibaraki prefecture, reopened in 2010, and I served as the supervisor of the newly constructed vocal-tract model booth.

 

2.3 Vocal-Tract Model Demonstrations

I had many opportunities of delivering demonstrations of the vocal-tract models in 2009.

・  INTERSPEECH

Demonstrations were conducted in the talks delivered by myself, as well as at the Public Exhibition (see Section 1.2). I took the vocal-tract model set to the conference, and visited UCL and University of Cambridge (See Section 1.2).

・  Summer Seminar and Beginners’ Seminar of the ASJ

A small activity of making a sliding vocal-tract model was conducted (See Section 1.3).

・  Course at Sophia University “Multi-media Information Synousiacs”
Lectures including demonstrations were conducted.

・  Yokohama Kyoritsu Doremus School (Senior High School)

Hands-on lecture and demonstration were conducted as a part of the trial class. The footage is introduced in the school’s homepage.

・  National Museum of Nature and Science

Demonstration and activity of making a vocal-tract model at the workshop “Science Workshop on Sound”.

・  All Sophian’s Festival at Sophia University

The vocal-tract model booth “Interacting with Science: Science at Sophia University” was set up by the Sophia University Executive Committee.

・  Open Campus at Sophia University

The laboratory was open to the public with the demonstration of vocal-tract models. A trial class was also carried out which included a demonstration. The footage of the trial class appeared on the internet website of YumeNavi.

・  Tokyo Institute of Technology

The vocal-tract models were lent to the class “Bio Creation Design” as teaching material, where the students were required to teach elementary school children the fascination of science.

・  Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology

I conducted a lecture titled “Interdisciplinary research concerning speech and its applications” at “School of Information Science Seminar” which included the demonstration of the vocal-tract models.

・  Tokyo Medical and Dental University

I conducted a lecture titled “Understanding speech science with your eyes, hands, and ears” as a special lecture of the graduate school which included the demonstration of the vocal-tract models.

 

2.4 Textbook for Elementary School Students

The photograph of the lung models that we built has again been featured in the teaching materials of the SAPIX preparatory school since 2005.

 

3. International and Domestic Collaborations

3.1 Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)

Our joint research with Professor Peter Svensson and Professor Dawn Behne continues, and a part of the research result was published as a paper [2009_03]。

 

3.2 Ishikawa National College of Technology

The joint research on the VAD Project with Professor Noboru Kanedera is in progress (See Section 4.1). Please refer to [2009_18, 2009_26] for the results.

 

3.3 Musashi Institute of Technology

Professor Kunio Yoshino and I worked on a new book.

 

3.4 National Center Hospital of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP)

Joint research with speech pathologist, Mayumi Hirozane, has been in progress since 2008. The project members from Arai laboratory are Keiichi Yasu, Takahiko Shinoda, and Shino Ito. Please refer to [2009_22, 2009_30] for details on the achievements in 2009.

 

3.5 Health Sciences University of Hokkaido

A part of the joint research with Professor Masahiko Komatsu, who had been a collaborative researcher of Arai laboratory for more than five years, was published [2009_04].

 

4. Industry-University Cooperation

4.1 Fujiyama, Inc.

Joint research with Fujiyama, Inc. (president: Junko Yoshii) has been in progress since 2004. The research has expanded to off-campus since 2009. The project members from Arai laboratory are Kyoko Matsuura, Pek Kimhuoch, Ken Kamijo, Sayaka Kano, and Keita Ono. Please refer to [2009_18, 2009_26] for details on the achievements in 2009.

 

Fujiyama, Inc. website:

http://www.fujiyama1.com/

 

The video “Acoustic Demonstrations of Vowel Production Using Vocal-tract Models” which won an award in the Gallery of Acoustics at the Acoustical Society of America in 2007, is open to the public with subtitles in the homepage below as a part of the joint project with Fujiyama, Inc. The video includes Japanese and English subtitles, and is open to public on the internet by using Fujiyama’s PC subtitle audiovisual viewer, MABL.

 

Video of “Acoustic Demonstrations of Vowel Production Using Vocal-tract Models” with subtitles:

http://www.fujiyama1.com/sophia/Gallery_of_Acoustics_2007.html

 

4.2 TOA Co.

We continue to carry out a joint research project with TOA Corporation on the preprocessing developed by Arai Lab. to improve the intelligibility of speech for public address systems. We are especially indebted to Kiyohiro Kurisu for his support in this project. The project members from Arai laboratory are Nao Hodoshima, Tadashi Kubo, Wataru Yoshida, Ayako Chiba, Yohei Matsukaze, Misaki Tsuji, and Susumu Nakamura. The research has expanded to off-campus since 2006. Please refer to [2009_28, 2009_31] for details on the achievements in 2009.

 

TOA Corporation website:

http://www.toa.co.jp/

 

4.3 Honda Research Institute Japan Co., Ltd.

A joint research concerning simulation of reverberant speech has launched in 2009. The project member from Arai laboratory is Toshimasa Suzuki. Please refer to [2009_34] for details on the achievements in 2009.

 

5. Other Research Fundings

5.1 Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research（B, 17390543）

I had been engaged in the project, “Development of Velopharyngeal Closure Diagnosis and Treatment Support System Based on a 4D Vocal Tract Model” since 2006 with Professor Ryuta Kataoka of School of Dentistry, Showa University as the principal investigator. The project ended in March 2009. Please refer to [2009_20] for details on the achievements in 2009.

 

5.2 Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research（C, 18530762）

The three-year project of “Study on Clarifying the Phonological Processing Characteristics of Children with Developmental Phonological Disorders, Development of Remedial Teaching, and Practical Applications”, with Professor Sawako Hirai of the Faculty of Foreign Studies as the principal investigator, ended in March 2009. Please refer to [2009_23] for details on the achievements in 2009.

 

5.3 Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research（C, 19500758）

The two-year project “Use of Vocal-Tract Models for Education in Acoustics to Intuitively Learn Human Speech Production Mechanisms”, with myself as the principal investigator, ended in March 2009 (See Sections 1.2, 1.3, 1.5, and 2). Please also refer to [2009_08, 2009_09, 2009_10, 2009_14, 2009_25] for a part of the research achievements.

 

5.4 Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research（C, 21500841）

The two-year project “Improving vocal-tract models for intuitive understanding of the mechanisms of human speech production and applications for education in acoustics” launched in 2009 with myself as the principal investigator. Please refer to [2009_36] for details on the achievements in 2009.

 

5.5 Open Research Center (ORC) Project

“Human Information Science Research Project” launched in the academic year of 2007 with Professor Mamoru Tanaka, Department of Information and Communication Sciences as the principal investigator, and reached its third year in 2009. I have been serving as the group leader of “Human Communication Group”, one of the three research groups. Our group has a framework of integrating research in humanities and sciences, and the group members include researchers from the Department of Linguistics and Cognitive Psychology Laboratory in the Department of Psychology at Sophia University, as well as Professor Mariko Kondo of Waseda University. Please refer to [2009_01, 2009_02, 2009_08, 2009_09, 2009_10, 2009_11, 2009_12, 2009_13, 2009_14, 2009_15, 2009_16, 2009_18, 2009_19, 2009_20, 2009_21, 2009_22, 2009_23, 2009_25, 2009_26, 2009_27, 2009_28, 2009_29, 2009_30, 2009_31, 2009_32, 2009_35, 2009_36, 2009_37] for a part of the research achievements.

 

The ORC project held three workshops in the 2009 academic year:

[1st ORC Workshop]

Speaker: Osamu Fujimura (The Ohio State University)

Title: Speech Production Research: Personal Reflection

 

[2nd ORC Workshop]

Twenty oral and poster presentations were given over the course of two hours.

 

[3rd ORC Workshop]

Speaker: Steven Greenberg (Silicon Speech)

Title: Time Perspective in Spoken Language Processing

 

In March 2009, Dr. Roy Patterson gave a lecture at the Spring Meeting of the ASJ held with the collaboration of the Committee of Psychological and Physiological Acoustics.

 

5.6 Other Research Fundings

5.6.1 Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research（Grand-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B), 21700203）

The project of “Research on intelligible live/recorded speech announcements in reverberant environments for older adults and non-native listeners” with Nao Hodoshima as the principal investigator had been adopted (Academic years 2009 – 2011).

 

6. Integration of Humanities with Science and Technology at Sophia University / Intramural Joint Research

6.1 Department of Linguistics

The ORC project previously mentioned is carried out with Professor Akira Ishikawa, Professor Kensaku Yoshida, Professor Shigeko Shinohara, and professors at the Research Center for Speech and Hearing (See Section 5.5).

 

Joint research with Professor Mitsuko Shindo and Dr. Sawako Hirai of the Research Center for Speech and Hearing as well as their students has been in progress. Please refer to [2009_12, 2009_32, 2009_37] for a part of the research achievements.

 

I served as a committee member of one thesis in the Master’s program in Linguistics. The contents were presented at a conference [2009_12]. Professor Shindo joined the committee member for the Master’s thesis of Ryosuke Takahashi, Arai laboratory.

 

6.2 Cognitive Psychology Lab., Department of Psychology

ORC project with Professor Chikashi Michimata as well as the members of Cognitive Psychology Laboratory has been in progress (See Section 5.5). Professor Michimata joined the committee member for the Master’s thesis of Kazuki Matsui, Arai laboratory.

 

6.3 Trip to Cambodia

I paid a visit to Siem Reap in the Kingdom of Cambodia as a part of the International Promotion Program in Higher Education. I visited the remains including Angkor Wat, Sophia University Angkor International Mission, and Preah Norodom Sihanouk-Angkor Museum of which Arai Laboratory made an introductory video (Please refer to Newsletter 2008 for details).

 


Remains of the Angkor Wat (Cambodia)

 

7. Contributions to the Society, Books, etc.

7.1 National Museum of Nature and Science

See Section 1.5.2.

 

7.2 Hitachi Civic Center Science Museum

See Section 2.2.

 

7.3 Publication of Books

7.3.1 Translation of “A Basic Introduction to Speech Perception”

The second edition was published on April 10, 2009.

 

8. Arai Lab. News

8.1 Journal Papers

Kanae Amino’s paper was published in the Journal of Forensic Science International [2009_01] and Acoustical Science and Technology [2009_02].

 

8.2 Defenses of Doctoral Theses

Kanae Amino’s defense for the early completion of the doctorate’s degree took place in July 2009. Off-campus committee member was Doctor Takashi Osanai, National Research Institute of Police Science. She was the third to complete the Doctor’s program under Arai’s supervision.

 

Arai laboratory graduate, Keisuke Kinoshita’s defense of the doctorate’s degree took place in November 2009. Off-campus committee member was Professor Masashi Unoki, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. He was the fourth to complete the Doctor’s program under Arai’s supervision (first as a “doctor by dissertation”).

 

8.3 PD/RA

Nao Hodoshima continued the position of post-doctoral research fellow, and Kanae Amino, Keiichi Yasu, and Hinako Masuda continued the position of Research Assistant since April 2009. Pek Kimhuoch also gained the position of Research Assistant. Kanae Amino became a post-doctoral research fellow from October 2009.

 

8.4 Collaborative Researchers of the Faulty of Science and Technology

Junko Yoshii (Fujiyama, Inc..), Kiyohiro Kurisu (TOA Co.), and Kei Kobayashi continued the position as collaborative researchers at the Faulty of Science and Technology. Yoko Saikachi gained the position of collaborative researchers at the Faulty of Science and Technology from 2009.

 

8.5 Visiting Professor

Dr. Kenji Kurakata of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) has been a visiting professor since October 2007 under the agreement on education and research cooperation between Sophia University and AIST.

 

8.6 Fastl Reading Group

The monthly Fastl Reading Group with the researchers of Rion Co., AIST, and Sophia University (especially Arai Lab. members) continue since 2007. The members are currently reading Fastl & Zwicker’s “Psychoacoustics”.

 

9. Titles of Theses

9.1 Doctoral Theses

Kanae Amino

Speaker individualities conveyed by speech sounds and their interactions with the linguistic-phonological information

 

Keisuke Kinoshita

A Study on Speech Dereverberation and its Applications

 

9.2 Master’s Theses

Kazuki Matsui

Hemispheric laterality of phonemic and prosodic information processing:

Deliberations by using natural and processed speech

 

Wataru Yoshida

Improving speech intelligibility by preprocessing approach in noisy and reverberant environments: Investigation of effects in the case of dichotic listening

 

Ryosuke Takahashi

A study on formant transition expansion for improving the hearing of listeners with temporal processing deficits