• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.39-45
• /
• 2015

Changes in speech production in normal elderly might be subtle and gradual. Therefore, an acoustic analysis is appropriate to identify the effect of aging on speech. For this purpose, this study examined four speech parameters; voice onset time (VOT), VOT range, $f_0$ of following vowel($f_0FV$), and $f_0FV$ difference in two age groups, old (mean age 74.57 yrs.) and young (m: 27.43 yrs.). The results show that compared to the older group the younger demonstrated significantly shorter VOTs in lenis and longer in aspirated stop. VOT ranges were relatively broad and consequently overlapped between the phonation types (e.g., lenis, fortis, aspirated). The $f_0FV$ values in the older group which are an integral parameter with VOT were lower compared with the young group. The $f_0FV$ differences in the old female group were significantly narrower than the young female group, therefore, clear distinction became difficult. In conclusion, contrast in temporal information was obscured, and the domain of glottal information was diminished on stop consonants in Korean elderly. The findings suggest that central/peripheral changes by aging could lead to a deficit in coordination between phonation and articulation.

• Proceedings of the KSPS conference
• /
• 2005.11a
• /
• pp.141-144
• /
• 2005

The purpose of this study is to identify the acoustic changes according to age and to provide the evaluation criteria of elderly voice. The number of 120 Korean adults (three age groups * two sex groups) proceeded sustained three vowels, read apart of 'Taking a walk' and explained a picture. The data was analyzed acoustically with MDVP of CSL. The results showed that: 1)there was statistically most significant changes in sex and age in F0 than the others but no significant in Shimmer. 2)acoustic parameters were changed from young adulthood to old age. Different patterns of change with aging were observed in men and women.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.65-66
• /
• 2019

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.24-26
• /
• 2014

Aging causes a variety of changes in the structure of the vocal fold (VF), resulting in aging-induced dysphonia (presbyphonia). Several studies have investigated the structure of the VF of elderly people from autopsy as well as animal studies. There is an increasing evidence on correlation of structural changes of VF with deteriorated voice in elderly. Although the cellular mechanisms of aging VF have only partially been elucidated, there are many recent advances in biological treatment on aging VF using bioactive molecules such as growth factors. In this study, I'd like to address aging-related structural, biological, and physiological changes in previous literature about human and rodent aging VFs, to provide further insight into the mechanisms responsible for presbyphonia and to translate the basic researches for future clinical trials.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
• /
• v.4 no.3
• /
• pp.177-184
• /
• 2009

This paper presents an active assisted-living system in wireless sensor and actor network (WSAN) in which the mobile robot roles an actor. In order to provide assisted-living service to the elderly people, position recognition of the sensor node attached on the user and localization of the mobile robot should be performed at the same time. For the purpose, we use received signal strength indication (RSSI) to find the position of the person and ubiquitous sensor nodes including ultrasonic sensor which performs both transmission of sensor information and localization like global positioning system. Active services are moving to the elderly people by detecting activity sensor and visual tracking and voice chatting with remote monitoring system.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
• /
• v.24 no.9
• /
• pp.1245-1248
• /
• 2020

Elderly people living alone need smart care for independent living. Recent advances in artificial intelligence have allowed for easier interaction by a computer-controlled virtual human. This technology can realize services such as medicine intake guide for the elderly living alone. In this paper, we suggest an intelligent virtual human and present our virtual human toolkit for controlling virtual humans for a senior citizen living alone. To make the virtual human motion, we suggest our authoring toolkit to map gestures, emotions, voices of virtual humans. The toolkit configured to create virtual human interactions allows the response of a suitable virtual human with facial expressions, gestures, and voice.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.101-106
• /
• 2017

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the quality of life and stress level of the elderly living alone in their neighborhood volunteers. Methods Data collection was done from July 1 to October 1, 2015 and the data were collected by self-reported questionnaire at Nowon community in Seoul area in South Korea. The subjects were 146 older adults living alone agreed to participate in the study(accepted by IRB). The questionnaire was constructed with quality of life 26 items, 5-point Likert type scale(1-5), stress 15 items, 5-point Likert type. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics. Results Socially isolated older adults had significantly higher scores ($3.7{\pm}.03$) in quality of life, moderate scores ($2.9{\pm}.03$) in stress. Conclusion The peer support undertaken by older community volunteers was effective in improving quality of life in socially isolated older adults. It is necessary to listen to the voice of elderly people living alone through the activation of volunteer groups in the community.

• Architectural research
• /
• v.13 no.3
• /
• pp.31-40
• /
• 2011

Profit-keeping behaviors naturally occur in the market to satisfy consumers, and the logic behind it lies in the economies of scale. On the flip side, some commodities transacted in the market are not available or can not be easily acquired unless the demand is high enough. Under this proposition, some consumers rise and find their own solution to meet the services at a reasonable cost or at an adequate level. The commonly adopted way is to establish a cooperative, and it stirs purchasing power by pooling resources and further bargains price and service quality. As a consumer cooperative, housing cooperatives notably found in rural towns enable the elderly to continue independent living. This study is to take a closer look at residential life of the rural elderly in housing cooperatives. Utilizing in-depth focus group interviews with 40 residents in four housing cooperatives, this qualitative research draws main factors affecting the decision to move in, residential assessment, and strengths and weakness of living in a housing cooperative. The primary factor influencing the moving decision is to continue to independent living in a familiar community, and the bottom line is planning ahead. Frailty and bereavement are found to be the leading occasions for them to move. The participants are satisfied with the independent living arrangement, and particularly, cited such features as safety and security, elderly-friendly design, common spaces, freedom, social activities and efficient living. Also, it is stated that some cooperative natures such as control over the property and giving a voice on management render positive impacts on the satisfaction with communal living. In spite of all the benefits and strengths, participants face with a public notion that an independent living arrangement like a housing cooperative has never done before in rural towns, so that most people recognize it as part of dependent living arrangements like nursing home.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
• /
• 2017.05a
• /
• pp.727-729
• /
• 2017

According to the National Statistical Office and the Ministry of Health and Welfare Family Department, Korea has already estimated that the proportion of the elderly population aged 65 or over is estimated to be higher than the global average, and has already entered the "Aging Society". Moreover, it is estimated that the quality of life of the people improved by reaching the information society earlier than expected. However, unlike young people, elderly people show clear differences in access and use of information that is difficult to access new machines easily and cause intergenerational digital divide phenomenon. In order to solve such a phenomenon, we implemented a speech recognition based smart mirror system for elderly people. The installed system can provide lighting control, weather forecast and subway time information search service of the using voice recognition. Through the implemented system, it is expected that the elderly will have accessibility to new machines, information that gives a feeling of participating in the change of the new era will be obtained and the effect of living convenience will be expected.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.111-118
• /
• 2022

In recent years, the number of single-person elderly households has increased, but when an emergency situation occurs inside the house in the case of single-person households, it is difficult to inform the outside world. Various smart home solutions have been proposed to detect emergency situations in single-person households, but it is difficult to use video media such as home CCTV, which has problems in the privacy area. Furthermore, if only a single sensor is used to analyze the abnormal situation of the elderly in the house, accurate situational analysis is limited due to the constraint of data amount. In this paper, therefore, we propose an algorithm of abnormal situation detection fusion inside the house by fusing 2DLiDAR, dust, and voice sensors, which are closely related to everyday life while protecting privacy, based on their correlations. Moreover, this paper proves the algorithm's reliability through data collected in a real-world environment. Adnormal situations that are detectable and undetectable by the proposed algorithm are presented. This study focuses on the detection of adnormal situations in the house and will be helpful in the lives of single-household users.