GEPPETO-OFC: An optimal feedback speech motor control model integrating biomechanical constraints and multisensory goal specification.

Abstract

We present a speech motor control model that integrates optimal feedback control (OFC) for movement planning and execution with a biomechanical model of the vocal tract. The OFC model was designed to optimize a cost function that combines motor effort and the achievement of multisensory goal zones. We show that the model can account for various aspects of speech production: kinematic properties, coarticulation, and sensorimotor integration. Furthermore, we provide evidence that hearing, proprioception, and tactile feedback may play distinct roles in shaping speech trajectories.