(42) Computation of the acoustic characteristics of simplified vocal-tract
    models by 3-D finite element method
    ¡¡¡¡¡¡Proceedings of International Symposium on Communications and Information
    Technologies 2004 (ISCIT2004)
             ,pp.894-899, 2004-10
      
      The acoustic characteristics of vocal-tract models are
      investigated using a three-dimensional finite element method. Several
      finite element models are created in order to examine the influence of
      the simplification of the vocal-tract shapes on the finer acoustic
      characteristics up to the higher frequencies of around 8 kHz. The
      simplification takes into account the following aspects:
      cross-sectional shape, bend, branches of the pyriform fossa and the
      valleculla, and lip protrusion. The effects of the yielding
      vocal-tract wall are also studied. The results indicate that with the
      frequency range up to around the third formant, the simplification of
      the cross section and the bend is considered to be an effective
      approximation. It is shown that the use of soft walls suppresses the
      appearance of sharp peaks and zeros in the frequencies above 3 kHz It
      is suggested that the lips and the branches independently affect the
      shifts of the first three formant frequencies.