25-08-2017, 09:32 PM
Development of a New Human-like Talking Robot Having Advanced Vocal Tract Mechanisms
ABSTRACT
This paper describes the development of a new talking robot WT-2 that improved on WT-1R and has advanced vocal tract
mechanisms for the reproduction of human vocal movement. WT-2 consists lungs, vocal cords, a vocal cavity and nasal cavity;
the total DOF is 15. The length of the vocal tract is about 175 mm and is almost the same as that of an adult male. Compared
to WT-1 or WT-1R developed previously, WT-2 could utter Japanese vowels more clearly, and produce stops, fricatives and
nasal sounds by a new flexible tongue mechanism as well as decrease sound leaks from the tongue except those from the lips
or nostrils.