SPEECH MADE VISIBLE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2303, 16 July 1921, Page 2

SPEECH MADE VISIBLE.

A wonderful new invention called the Lioretgraph is to be taken to England from France by the London University College authorities for research work into phonetics. The Lioretgraph (named after M. Lio-i-ot, the Paris inventor) is for making extremely accurate tracings upon permanent records of the actual vibrations of sound in articulated speech. Mr D. Jones, director of phonetics at the University, told a Daily Chronicle representative that the instrument is unique. It is worked by motor power. “When line utters a vowel sound,” said Mr Jones, “the room is full of vibrations of different shape. In the presence of the Lioretgraph a person saying ‘Ah,’ would record upon paper on the instrument a lit tie wobbly symmetrical line. The prin-i-iple involved is similar to the ordinary i.honour:!pß. hut by mean- of extremely delicate mechanism, the effects of speech are enlarged an mormons number of times." The -hape of all word- in the air can he discovered, and it is believed that I will he possible ultimately with his nefv invention, aided by mathematical formulae already in use, to read, analyse, and translate any foreign tongue of which these lines ire the records.