Bioacoustics (FSI-9BIA)

Academic year 2020/2021
Supervisor: Ing. Pavel Švancara, Ph.D.  
Supervising institute: ÚMTMB all courses guaranted by this institute
Teaching language: Czech or English
Aims of the course unit:
The human vocal tract is a unique "musical instrument" which is able to generate a sound of various frequency (tone) composition and in consequence of this reality it serves for communication among people. The hearing system enables a frequency analysis of received sound by means of special inner ear function - cochlea.
In the BIOACOUSTICS subject the attention will be devoted to the both problems given above. The function both organs will be analysed theoretically, by the computer modeling by means of finite element method and further by the experiments.
Learning outcomes and competences:
Students will receive very valuable information during study of acoustics subject about the two very important human organs. The first is the vocal tract and second is the hearing system which is ranges among fundamental senses. Students will meet not with the correct function of the both organ, but also with many their faults and defects.
Prerequisites:
Fundamentals of acoustics:
acoustic wave, acoustic quantities (pressure, intensity, power), acoustic signal spectra, experimental analysis of the acoustic quantities, acoustic fields, spectral and modal properties of acoustic cavities.
Mathematics:
matrix algebra, linear algebra, differential equations, basics of finite element method.
Course contents:
Bioacoustics is dealing with human organs and the organs of the next living creature of which their function is connected to an using of acoustic waves summary of an acoustics using. Bioacoustics is dealing especially by the human voice generation and by the hearing perception. The source voice is generated by the vocal folds and is adapted when is going through the vocal tract. The source voice differs when it is generated in whisper or in aloud. The source voice is a cause of the formant excitation of individual vowels according the set up of the vocal tract. The formants are the natural frequencies of the vocal tract.
The other organ using the acoustic waves properties and vibro-acoustic systems anywise is a hearing system. The hearing apparatus catches the acoustic waves from surrounding environment and by means of complicated electrical-mechanical system them transformed into signals which are sent further into brain.
Teaching methods and criteria:
The course is taught through lectures explaining the basic principles and theory of the discipline.
Assesment methods and criteria linked to learning outcomes:
The exam is written and oral.
Classification is made on the regulations to be used on VUT FSI.
Controlled participation in lessons:
Active participation in the course is controled individually according to the progression of work on the project.
Type of course unit:
    Lecture  10 × 2 hrs. optionally                  
Course curriculum:
    Lecture 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
Literature - fundamental:
1. Titze, I. R.: Principles of Voice Production, Prentice Hall, 1994
2. Titze, I. R. , Alipour, F.: The Myoelastic Aerodynamic Theory of Phonation, National Center for Voice and Speech, Denver and Iowa City, 2006
3. Yost, W: A.: Fundamentals of hearing: an introduction, Academic Press, 2000
Literature - recommended:
1. Beranek, L.L.: Acoustics: Sound Fields and Transducers, Academic press, Oxford, 2012
2. Ohayon, R., Soize, C.: Structural Acoustic and Vibration, Academic Press, London, 1998
The study programmes with the given course:
Programme Study form Branch Spec. Final classification   Course-unit credits     Obligation     Level     Year     Semester  
D-IME-P full-time study --- no specialisation -- DrEx 0 Recommended course 3 1 W