High-resolution measurement of voice directivity in the horizontal plane

The human voice is directional by nature, and its directivity has been the subject of extensive study. Accurate data on voice directivity are fundamental in any work associating natural human speech and its interaction with architectural spaces. In this research, we present and analyze results obtained using a novel high-resolution measurement setup. The system features an array of 180 MEMS microphones arranged on a horizontal circle with a 3-m diameter, enabling measurement of sound sources with a 2° resolution in the azimuthal plane. Test subjects were positioned at the center of the array, with the location of their mouths precisely calibrated using a multi-camera and laser alignment system. Data were collected from 24 talkers (5 female, 19 male) articulating fluent English speech. The analysis, conducted across different frequency bands, explores variations between sexes and compares findings with previous studies. We discuss the relevance of the resolution provided by the system and examine its performance within the context of existing literature. Potential directions for future work are also outlined.