by Staff Writers Vancouver, Canada (SPX) Feb 20, 2012 New
technology at the University of British Columbia makes it
possible for a person to speak or sing just by using their hands
to control a speech synthesizer. UBC researcher Sidney Fels says
the gesture-to-voice-synthesizer technology mirrors processes
that human use when they control their own vocal apparatus.
"It's like playing a musical instrument that plays voice.
Applications could include new forms of musical expression and
aids for people with speaking disabilities," says Fels,
professor of electrical and computer engineering at the Faculty
of Applied Science and director of the Media and Graphics
Interdisciplinary Centre (MAGIC). Fels presented the technology
last week at the annual meeting of the American Association for
the Advancement of Science in Vancouver. Fels and his team used
special gloves equipped with 3-D position sensors that locate
the hand in space. Certain glove postures are associated with
certain areas in the audio spectrum. The