OSTF Labs vMic Contact Microphone Improves Voice Capture

January 21 2021, 00:10
Leveraging the expertise of its co-founders, OSTF Labs is a highly regarded research organization in the field of intelligent electronic systems with successful product applications. Their latest announcement, vMic, is a noise-free surface vibration microphone that senses speaking vibrations through contact with the skin near the throat. The solution was promoted at the Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA) at Eureka Park during CES 2021 as part of the 100 featured Taiwanese startups.

The OSTF (One Step to the Future) vMic development team created an AI compensation algorithm that allows vMic to deliver clear, accurate sound, combined with a voice algorithm that analyzes user voice data and captures only pure voice.

"AI technology is well suited for learning the processes of production and perception of speech. The AI compensation algorithm we developed can effectively imitate the resonance of the speech organs. Distorted voice (mixed voiced and unvoiced) signals can thus be corrected using our AI compensation algorithm to achieve pure voice signals."

In noisy environments such as factories, the typical air microphone will be disturbed by environmental background noise and is thus not ideal for communication. Also, traditional air microphones are not suited to users engaged in outdoor sports such as bicycling, motorcycle riding, and skiing. In such suboptimal environments and conditions, vMic offers a solution to deliver vocal clarity, regardless of how noisy the environment is. OSTF also believes this technology could be applied in many application areas. 

As the mechanism of speech production is very complex, experts must thoroughly understand the processes of production and perception of speech before analyzing any language. The vMic development team originally wanted to design a voice conversion device for patients with articulation disorders that would allow these patients to converse easily with others. To make this voice conversion device more convenient to use, Dr. Chun-Ming Huang led a team to observe the requirements of patients over an extended period of time. Afterward, the team collaborated with Chung Cheng University professor and Co-Founder of OSTF Labs Dr. Tai-Chi Lin to finalize the design of a noise-free, wireless microphone device (Pure Voice Microphone) that was the foundation for vMic. This fully integrated design makes it more convenient and may now be used easily by anyone in multiple applications. When used as a wearable device, the vMic ensures that only voice is heard in noisy environments.
 

OSTF (One Step to the Future) Labs comprises the three Co-Founders (Dr. Chun-Ming Huang, Prof. Tai-Chi Lin and Dr. Chien-Ming Wu), two technical consultants (Prof. Jinn-Shyan Wang and Prof. Ching-Wei Yeh), and a team of R&D engineers.

Dr. Chun-Ming Huang, the Director of Advanced Technology Applications Division at TSRI (Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute), has worked for over two decades on VLSI design, SOC design methodologies, and multimedia communications. TSRI is a world-class academic research institute that provides integrated services for everything from semiconductor devices to systems. 

Prof. Tai-Chi Lin is a professor at Chung Cheng University, Taiwan. His research interests include programmable SoC design, ultra-low-voltage systems, and biomedical signal processing. Dr. Chien-Ming Wu has over 15 years of experience with VLSI design in communication and coding theory and SoC design. Prof. Jinn-Shyan Wang and Prof. Ching-Wei Yeh are both professors at Chung Cheng University. Their research interests include low-power and high-speed IC designs and system designs for audio and video applications.

OSTF Labs' R&D engineers are responsible for embedded hardware/software design, iOS/Android App development, sensor system calibration, and industrial design.
CES 2021 TTA-VR Pavilion: https://pse.is/3b8bd7
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About Joao Martins
Since 2013, Joao Martins leads audioXpress as editor-in-chief of the US-based magazine and website, the leading audio electronics, audio product development and design publication, working also as international editor for Voice Coil, the leading periodical for... Read more

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