EPG research and therapy: further developments.

Area of Science:

• Speech Science
• Phonetics
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Electropalatography (EPG) has been a valuable tool for analyzing tongue-palate contact patterns in speech production for five decades.
• It is utilized for studying both typical speech and speech disorders stemming from various causes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To summarize expert discussions on the future development and application of Electropalatography.
• To identify areas for technological advancement and new uses for EPG.

Main Methods:

• A panel of invited experts convened at the 7th EPG Symposium in Japan (held online, January 24, 2021) to discuss EPG.
• The paper presents a summary of the insights and recommendations from this expert panel.

Main Results:

• EPG offers unparalleled articulatory data not replicable by other instrumental speech measures.
• Key areas for hardware development include thinner EPG plates, improved coverage, wireless capabilities, and sensors for tongue pressure and distance.

Conclusions:

• EPG technology holds significant potential for advancement in hardware and sensor capabilities.
• EPG can be effectively integrated into speech disorder education and telepractice-based speech therapy.