Development and evaluation of pitch adjustable electrolarynx

Abstract

We constructed a prototype of an electrolarynx whereof the fundamental frequency (hereafter pitch for simplicity) can be adjusted by an up-down or left-right finger movement, and carried out some comparison experiments on its operation.As a result, we found that the left-right finger movement could operate the device more simply and in a shorter time.In both cases, in the prototype electrolarynx, pitch adjustment and ON/OFF control of the vibration could be made independently, and utterances could be started and finished with a desired pitch.Hence, we found that an initial-accented pitch pattern and utterances with rising pitch at the end of a phrase such as a question phrase, were easily produced.