Job Offer in Speech Synthesis from IKA Bochum

[Dan Ellis <dpwe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear List -

I was sent the enclosed job announcement for distribution to the list.

  DAn.

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Date: Tue, 24 Aug 1999 19:54:09 +0200 (MET DST)
From: Joachim Mersdorf <mersdorf@ika.ruhr-uni-bochum.de>

[ We apologise for the duplicate posting of this announcement ]

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PhD research position vacant at the
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Institute of Communication Acoustics         _/  _/ _/    _/    _/
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Ruhr-Universitaet Bochum                   _/  _/ _/    _/    _/
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Project: Modelling speaker characteristics in concatenative speech synthesis


The project is to be carried out at the Institute of Communication Acoustics
at the Ruhr University Bochum in collaboration with G Data Software. The PhD
studentship position is open for at least 3 years (extension possible).
Succesfull candidates should have
        1. a degree in computational linguistics, phonetics or physics
        2. good knowledge in digital signal processing
        3. very good programming skills in C/ C++
        4. good knowledge in Phonetics
        5. basic knowledge in Windows programming
        6. a creative and communicative personality

The project
Current speech synthesis systems are comprehensible but far from natural.
One of the reasons is the static and unflexible modelling of prosody and
voice variation of a natural speaker. In a 3-years project a systematic
description of speaker characteristics is to be developed and applied to
single (mainly prominent) speakers. This comprises among others research
in the fields of precision of articulation, intonation, speech rate, speech
rhythm and voice quality. Algorithms should be developed and implemented
in the G Data speech synthesis system. Payment is according to the standard
BAT II a scale for University staff (approx. 65,000 DEM p.a. before tax,
increases depending on age, marital situation, and number of children).


The Institute of communication acoustics (IKA) at the Ruhr University Bochum
(RUB) is part of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information
Technology. Prof. Dr. J. Blauert already established speech technology as a
main research topic in the late 70's at the RUB.
The long tradition in speech synthesis and speech analysis resulted in SyRUB
one of the very first German TTS systems. In the VERBMOBIL research project
the IKA is involved in the situative adaptation of synthesis and audio output.
More info at http://www.ika.ruhr-uni-bochum.de

Contact
Please send an application and CV to
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr.techn h.c. Blauert
        Institut fuer Kommunikationsakustik
        Ruhr-Universitaet Bochum
        Universitaetsstr. 150
        D-44780 Bochum

        FAX:   +49 234 709 4165

Further Questions ?
Please contact  Joachim Mersdorf  ( mailto://mersdorf@ika.ruhr-uni-bochum.de )
or              Ralf Benzmüller   ( mailto://ralf.benzmueller@gdata.de )

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