What technology uses an acrylic palate to detect tongue contact with the palate?

Electropalatography (EPG) is the technology that employs an acrylic palate embedded with sensors to detect tongue contact with the palate. In EPG, a custom-made acrylic appliance is fitted to the speaker’s mouth, and as the tongue makes contact with different areas of the palate, the sensors register this contact. This allows for the generation of a visual representation, or a palatogram, indicating where the tongue touches the roof of the mouth during speech production.

This technology is particularly valuable in understanding articulatory patterns and can be useful in both clinical and research settings, especially for individuals with speech sound disorders. Through the data collected, practitioners can gain insights into articulation errors and help guide intervention strategies effectively.

Other technologies listed do not focus specifically on detecting tongue contact with the palate. Surface EMG measures muscle electrical activity but does not localize tongue contact. X-Ray Microbeam is primarily used for imaging tongue position and movement but does not provide direct contact data like EPG. Electromagnetic Articulography captures the movement of articulators through the use of sensors but again does not specifically detect contact with the palate.