Course detail

Biomechanics IV - Bioacoustics

FSI-RBKAcad. year: 2022/2023

Bioacoustics deals with human organs and organs of other living creatures whose function is in some way tied to the use of sound waves, collectively to the use of acoustics. Bioacoustics deals mainly with human speech generation and hearing perception. The source voice is generated by vocal folds and is further acoustically modified by passing through the vocal tract. The auditory organ captures acoustic waves from the surrounding environment and processes them by means of complicated electro-mechanical systems into the signals, which are then supplied to the brain.
The course is also devoted to computational models of vibroacoustic systems - deterministic models (finite element method FEM, boundary element method BEM), statistical models (statistical energy analysis SEA), hybrid models (FEM + SEA).

Language of instruction

Czech

Number of ECTS credits

6

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Guarantor

Ing. Pavel Švancara, Ph.D.

Department

Institute of Solid Mechanics, Mechatronics and Biomechanics (ÚMTMB)

Learning outcomes of the course unit

Students will learn valuable information about the two very important human organs important for life. The first is the vocal tract, the second is the auditory organ, which is one of the basic sensory organs. Students will learn about the proper functioning of both organs and some of their disorders and defects. In addition, students will learn computational models of vibroacoustic systems.

Prerequisites

The student must know fundamentals of acoustics, matrix calculus, linear algebra, differential equations, fundamentals of the finite element method.

Co-requisites

Not applicable.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

The course is taught through lectures explaining the basic principles and theory of the discipline. Exercises are focused on practical topics presented in lectures.

Assesment methods and criteria linked to learning outcomes

Course-unit credit requirements: Active participation in seminars and elaboration of required number of partial tasks and their presentation. Attendance at seminars is obligatory. In case of the orderly excused absence is necessary to solve a substitute problem.
Final examination: The examination is carried out in the form of a cross-sectional written test. Making the correct answer to less than half of the questions is a reason not to pass the exam. The final qualification of the exam takes into account the quality of elaboration of partial tasks from exercises.
The specific form of the exam, types, number of questions or examples and details of the assessment will be given by the lecturer during the semester.

Course curriculum

1. Acoustic vibration, acoustic modes of the close and open tubes
2. The windbrass instruments
3.-4. Vocal tract organ, spectral and modal properties
5. Voice analysis, vowel formants
6.-7. Vocal folds function
8. Compensatory voice sources, electrolaryng, compensatory vocal folds
9.-10.Hearing system, cochlea
11.-12. Source defects of the hearing system
13.Skull, transmission properties

Work placements

Not applicable.

Aims

The aim of the course is to acquire knowledge of the human vocal tract and auditory organ. The functions of both devices will be analyzed theoretically, by computer modeling and will also be analyzed experimentally. The course will also include the introduction to computational models of vibroacoustic systems - FEM finite element method FEM, boundary element method BEM, statistical energy analysis SEA, hybrid models (FEM + SEA).

Specification of controlled education, way of implementation and compensation for absences

The inspection of the education is carried out systematically, on the exercises the presence will be written in the student’s list. Unexcused absence is the reason for not granting the credit. A student’s readines for the education is carried out continuously for individual students, or by the short test. In case of orderly excused missing presence it is necessary to fulfil the missing items and optionally to solve some compensatory examples. The missing experimental exercise must be replaced by another date.

Recommended optional programme components

Not applicable.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

I. R. Titze: Principles of Voice Production, Prentice Hall, 1994 (EN)
Nový, R.: Hluk a chvění, České vysoké učení technické, Praha, 2009 (CS)
Damaske, P.: Acoustics and Hearing, Springer-Verlag, Berlin- Heidelberg, 2008 (EN)

Recommended reading

Titze, I. R. , Alipour, F.: The Myoelastic Aerodynamic Theory of Phonation, National Center for Voice and Speech, Denver and Iowa City, 2006 (EN)
Rossin, T. D., editor: Springer Handbook of Acoustics, Springer, Würzburg, 2007 (EN)
Ohayon, R., Soize, C.: Structural Acoustic and Vibration, Academic Press, London, 1998
Beer, G., Smith, I., Duenser, Ch.: The Boundary Element Method with Proramming, Springer-Verlag, 2008 (EN)
Lyon, R. H., DeJong, R.G: Theory and Application of Statistical Energy Analysis, Butterwortth-Heinemann, Boston, 1995 (EN)

eLearning

eLearning: currently opened course

Classification of course in study plans

  • Programme N-IMB-P Master's

    specialization BIO , 2. year of study, winter semester, compulsory

  • Programme CŽV Lifelong learning

    branch CZV , 1. year of study, winter semester, compulsory

Type of course unit

 

Lecture

26 hours, optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

Ing. Pavel Švancara, Ph.D.

Syllabus

1. Basic acoustic quantities and relations, wave equation and its solution
2. Acoustic properties of open and closed spaces, spectra
3. Psychoacoustic noise criteria
4. Experimental determination of acoustic quantities
5. Finite element method (FEM) and boundary element method (BEM) in acoustics
6. Statistical energy analysis (SEA), hybrid models (FEM + SEA)
7. Biomechanics of human voice formation
8. Vocal tract - its spectral and modal properties, vowel formants
9. Vocal folds - their functions and computational models, alternative sources of voice
10. Methods for experimental voice analysis
11. Voice disorders
12. Biomechanics of human hearing
13. Cochlea and its function, some defects of auditory organ

Computer-assisted exercise

26 hours, compulsory

Teacher / Lecturer

Ing. Pavel Švancara, Ph.D.

Syllabus

1. Acoustic quantities and conversions between them, band spectra, decibel scales
2. Spectral and modal properties of cavities
3. Acoustic wave propagation in free space, acoustic sources
4. Radiation of acoustic waves from a vibrating body to free space, radiated acoustic power
5. Radiation of acoustic waves from a vibrating body into a acoustic cavity
6. Transmission of acoustic waves across different types of walls
7. Vocal tract, its spectral and modal properties
8. Vocal folds and their functions
9. Computational models of vocal folds function
10. Experimental voice analysis, vowel formants
11. Computational models of human ear
12. Modeling of cochlea function
13. Skull, transfer properties

eLearning

eLearning: currently opened course