Portable electropalatography (EPG) system

LinguaGraph is a portable electropalatography (EPG) system that monitors tongue contact with the hard-palate during speech. Electropalatography provides direct articulatory information that can be used to study or improve articulation patterns.

How electropalatography works

Electropalatography determines tongue-palate contact by using a special artificial palate that contains 62 electrodes embedded on its lingual surface. A small electrical signal is sent to the user, which is conducted through the tongue to any touched electrodes. These tongue-palate contact patterns are then displayed on a computer screen.

How electropalatography works

Electropalatography palate

The LinguaGraph electropalatography system is compatible with the Reading EPG palate design. Each palate, sold separately, is custom-made for each user and simply clips to the upper teeth. In order to create an EPG palate, a qualified dentist must first take an impression of the upper palate and teeth. A plaster model is then created from the impression and sent directly to us for EPG palate manufacture.

Electropalatography palate

Electropalatography palate kit

Electropalatography palate kits enable orthodontic technologists to manufacture EPG palates locally. Each kit contains:

  • 62 silver electrodes with attached leads.
  • EPG Connector board.
  • EPG Connector board cover.
  • Heat shrink tubing.
  • Instruction manual.
Electropalatography palate kit

Software options

LinguaView

LinguaView is easy-to-use Windows software that provides an ideal introduction to electropalatography. Features include:

  • Preview tongue-palate contact in real-time
  • Record tongue-palate contact and audio
  • Playback tongue-palate contact and audio
  • Tongue-palate contact template library
  • Tongue-palate contact template editor
  • Create tongue-palate contact videos
  • Anatomical or classic palatograph displays
  • Compatible with videoconferencing software for remote operation
  • Windows 11, 10, 8, 7 and Vista compatible
Electropalatography software

LinguaView is language independent, and provides direct articulatory information wherever the tongue touches the hard palate. The tongue-palate contact patterns below represent typical lingual consonants produced by normal English speakers:

EPG alveolar stop /t/, /d/, /n/

Alveolar Stop
/t/, /d/, /n/

EPG alveolar grooved /z/, /s

Alveolar Grooved
/z/, /s/

EPG post-alveolar grooved /ʃ/, /ʒ/

Post-Alveolar Grooved
/ʃ/, /ʒ/

EPG double alveolar-velar /tk/, /kt/, /kl/

Double Alveolar-Velar
/tk/, /kt/, /kl/

EPG velar stop /k/, /g/, /ŋ/

Velar Stop
/k/, /g/, /ŋ/

EPG apical /l/

Apical
/l/

LinguaView 3D

LinguaView 3D uses state-of-the-art computer animation and 3D modelling techniques to illustrate where the tongue touches the hard-palate during speech. The 3D model consists of the tongue, hard palate, teeth and lower jaw. The transparency of these articulators can be adjusted to reveal hidden structures, and the model can be rotated 360°.

LinguaView 3D is language independent, and provides direct articulatory information wherever the tongue touches the hard palate. The tongue-palate contact patterns below represent typical lingual consonants produced by normal English speakers:

3D EPG alveolar stop /t/, /d/, /n/

Alveolar Stop
/t/, /d/, /n/

3D EPG alveolar grooved /z/, /s

Alveolar Grooved
/z/, /s/

3D EPG post-alveolar grooved /ʃ/, /ʒ/

Post-Alveolar Grooved
/ʃ/, /ʒ/

3D EPG double alveolar-velar /tk/, /kt/, /kl/

Double Alveolar-Velar
/tk/, /kt/, /kl/

3D EPG velar stop /k/, /g/, /ŋ/

Velar Stop
/k/, /g/, /ŋ/

3D EPG apical /l/

Apical
/l/

Features include:

  • Preview 3D tongue-palate contact in real-time
  • Record 3D tongue-palate contact at up to 200 FPS with fully synchronised audio
  • 3D tongue-palate contact template library
  • 3D tongue-palate contact template editor
  • 360° photorealistic and stylised views
  • Upper and lower jaw with adjustable transparency
  • File format compatible with icSpeech Professional Edition
  • Windows 64-bit 11, 10 and 8 compatible
Read more...

icSpeech Professional Edition

LinguaGraph is also compatible with the multiparameter speech visualisation and analysis package icSpeech Professional Edition, which supports a wealth of additional features.

Features include:

  • Multi-channel EPG
  • Anatomical or classic palatograph displays
  • Waveform displays
  • Spectrogram displays
  • EPG Games
  • Extensive lingual parameters and analysis
  • EPG data export facility
  • EPG Template matching
  • Recorder with picture & word prompting
  • Combines EPG with acoustic, airflow, voicing and video data
  • Windows 11, 10, 8, 7 and Vista compatible

Software Development Kit

The LinguaGraph software development kit (SDK) is a high-level programming library for creating custom EPG applications. It allows full control of the LinguaGraph EPG unit and real-time access to the EPG frame data. The SDK contains an installation package of redistributable files, programming documentation and example source code. The SDK is compatible with the C/C++ programming language and the Microsoft Visual Studio integrated development environment (IDE).

Minimum Hardware Requirements
  • Windows compatible desktop, laptop or tablet computer.
  • 1GHz Intel Pentium with 4GB RAM.
  • 1 x USB port.
  • LinguaGraph EPG unit.
Software Requirements
  • Microsoft Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, Vista, x32 and x64 bit.
  • Microsoft Visual Studio 2013, or later.
Simple to use API
  • int epgInit(LONG lFrameRate, LONG lLatencyMs);
  • int epgReset(void);
  • int epgStart(void);
  • int epgStop(void);
  • int epgSetCallback(EPG_CALLBACK epgCallback);
Electropalatography SDK

Specification

Supported operating systems Windows 11, 10, 8, 7 or Vista
Supported computers Desktop, laptop, tablet
Connectivity USB 1.0, 2.0, 3.0
Power USB bus powered
Palate type Reading, 62 electrode
Resolution 62 electrode
Sensitivity Manual adjustment
Maximum frame rate 200 frames per second
Minimum frame rate 50 frames per second

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The electropalatography package includes:

  • LinguaGraph EPG unit
  • Carry case
  • Neck strap
  • Wrist strap
  • Handgrip
  • Signal cord
  • 2 meter locking USB cable
  • User manual
  • 12 months guarantee
  • LinguaView (optional)
  • LinguaView 3D (optional)
  • icSpeech Professional Edition (optional)
Electropalatography package