Researchers recreated the to push of an ancient Egyptian priest, Nesyamun, by using a CT scanner, a 3D printer and an electronic larynx. The mummy could only produce a vowel-like sound. (Image Credit: Leeds Teaching Hospitals/Leeds Museums and Galleries)
About 3,000 years ago, an ancient Egyptian named Nesyamun had died from a suspected severe allergic reaction and became mummified, preserving soft tissue, including his vocal tract. By using 3D printing, CT scanning, and an electronic larynx, scientists were able to recreate the voice of the 3,000year-old Egyptian mummy. Their findings were published in Scientific Reports on January 23, 2020.
The team, led by D.M. Howard, a professor of electrical engineering at Royal Holloway, University of London, used the mummified vocal tract of Nesyamun to reproduce its voice. By using a CT scanner, the team was able to create a digital model of the vocal tract. Afterward, they used a 3D printer to reconstruct it. However, it came out with a missing piece.
The only part that didn’t come out with the vocal tract was the soft palate, which was simple to reconstruct and, therefore, could be placed into the model. It still had its tongue, but it wasn’t completely intact because it had lost a lot of its bulk over time. While it does influence voice, scientists weren’t eager to reconstruct it because it would be too difficult since the structure is so complex.
Afterward, the newly printed 3D model was attached to an Adastra speaker system. This was then connected to a vocal tract organ, which is capable of producing an acoustic signal in human speech. The frequency, loudness and vibrato rate and depth can then be controlled either by a joystick or controller. The signal being played through the speaker and through the vocal-tract 3D model would then produce a sound similar to a human voice with the acoustic fingerprint of the vocal tract’s owner.
This technique caused Nesyamun to “speak” a little, making a single vowel sound similar to the “e” and “a” sounds from the words “bed” and “bad.” That was all the sounds it could produce for now. The researchers will continue working on the mummy to produce more sounds, but they will also be hesitant on pushing the vocal tract model beyond its capabilities. However, the positioning of the mummy has remained the same for 3,000 years, which caused it to sound differently from someone standing or sitting.
In the future, the team hopes to study how living vocal tracts can change their shape when it’s going through different types of speech. After they have collected the data, they will apply it to future 3D printed models, hoping to create running speech.
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