Benjamin Elie

Teaching Fellow

  • Linguistics and English Language
  • School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences

Contact details

Address

Street

Room 2.07, Dugald Stewart Building

City
3 Charles Street, Edinburgh
Post code
EH8 9AD

Biography

Background

My research lies at the intersection of speech science, computational linguistics, acoustics, and mechanics of musical instruments. My current research contributes to the ERC-funded project PlanArt under the guidance of Prof. Alice Turk, focusing on computational models for the articulatory planning of human speech.

 

 

Qualifications

- PhD in Acoustic SIgnal Processing (Université du Maine, France)

- Master's degree in Acoustics, Signal Processing and Computer Science applied to Music (Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France)

Undergraduate teaching

- Computer Programming for Speech and language Processing (Course Organizer)

- Phonetics and Laboratory Phonology

- Linguistics and English Language 1A

Research summary

My research focuses on computational modelling of cognitive processes in articulatory planning. I develop models that numerically simulate articulatory planning, predicting speakers’ articulatory movements from the target utterance, cognitive factors, and situational context. My goal is to uncover the cognitive and articulatory origins of speech variation, including prosodic prominence, speech style, Lombard speech, and phonetic convergence. My models combine biophysical and acoustic speech modelling, biomechanical modelling of articulation, and artificial neural networks for internal articulatory‑to‑sensory mapping and acoustic speech recognition.

Current research interests

Computational modeling of speech articualtory planning, sensorimotor adaptation, and phonetic convergence

Past research interests

- Signal processing and inverse problems for phonetics: - Articulatory model - Acoustic-to-articulatory inversion - Compressed sensing for MRI speech reconstruction - Periodic/Aperiodic source decomposition of speech signals - Phonetics: - Strategies of production of fricatives - Articulatory models of speech production - Mechanics/Acoustics: - Musical acoustics for assistance to instrument making - Speech synthesis using acoustic models - Physical modeling of trill consonants

Knowledge exchange

Papers published in international peer-reviewed journals

[J1] Elie B., Šimko J., & Turk A. (2026). An optimality-guided model of differential adaptation to opposing perturbations. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 160(2), 1450—1464. [https://pubs.aip.org/asa/jasa/article-split/160/2/1450/3401075/An-optimality-guided-model-of-differential]

[J2] Elie B., Šimko J., & Turk A. (2026). Regular updates of internal sensory predictions drive sensorimotor adaptation in optimization-based models of speech production. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 159(3), 2706—2728. [https://www.pure.ed.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/638887225/ElieEtalJASA2026RegularUpdates.pdf]

[J3] Elie, B., Šimko, J., & Turk, A. (2024). Optimization-based planning of speech articulation using general Tau Theory. Speech Communication, 160, 103083. [https://www.pure.ed.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/441937859/ElieEtalSC2024OptimizationBasedPlanning.pdf]

[J4] Elie B., Šimko J., & Turk A. (2024). Optimization-based modeling of Lombard speech articulation: Supraglottal characteristics. JASA Express Letters 4(1), 015204, 1–8. [https://www.pure.ed.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/405394830/015204_1_10.0024364.pdf]

[J5] Elie B., Lee D. N., and Turk A. "Modeling trajectories of human speech articulators using General Tau theory". Speech Communication 151 (2023) [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167639323000614]

[J6] Elie B., Cotté B., and Boutillon X. "Physically-based sound synthesis software for Computer-Aided-Design of piano soundboards". Acta Acustica 6(30) (2022) [https://acta-acustica.edpsciences.org/articles/aacus/pdf/2022/01/aacus210096.pdf]

[J7] Elie B., and Laprie Y. "Simulating alveolar trills using a two-mass model of the tongue tip". J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 142(5), pp. 3245-3256 (2017) [https://perso.limsi.fr/elie/papers/elie_trills_jasa2017.pdf]

[J8] Elie B., and Laprie Y. "Acoustic impact of the gradual glottal abduction degree on the production of fricatives: A numerical study". J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 142(3), pp. 1303-1317 (2017) [https://perso.limsi.fr/elie/papers/elie_fricatives_jasa17.pdf]

[J9] Elie B., and Laprie Y. "Extension of the single-matrix formulation of the vocal tract: consideration of bilateral channels and connection of self-oscillating models of the vocal folds with a glottal chink".  Speech Comm. 82, pp. 85-96 (2016)  [https://perso.limsi.fr/elie/papers/Elie2016SPECOM.pdf]

[J10] Elie B., Gautier F., and David B. "Acoustic signature of violins based on bridge mobility measurements". J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 136(3), pp. 1385-1393 (2014) [https://perso.limsi.fr/elie/papers/Elieetal_jasa2014.pdf]

[J11] Denis V., Gautier F., Pelat A., and Elie B. "Modal Overlap Factor of a beam with an Acoustic Black Hole termination". J. Sound Vib. 333(12), pp. 2475-2488 (2014) [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022460X14000972]

[J12] Elie B., Gautier F., and David B. "Estimation of mechanical properties of panels based on modal density and mean mobility measurements". Mech. Syst. Sig. Proc. 40, pp. 628-644 (2013) [https://perso.limsi.fr/elie/papers/Elieetal_mssp2013.pdf]

[J13] Elie B., Gautier F., and David B. "Macro parameters describing the mechanical behavior of classical guitars". J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 132(6), pp. 4013-4024 (2012) [https://perso.limsi.fr/elie/papers/Elieetal_jasa2012.pdf]

[J14] Daltrop S., Kotlicki A. Waltham C., Wolfe N., Gautier F., and Elie B. "Vibroacoustic characteristics of a Gothic Harp". J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 131(1), pp. 837-843 (2012)  [https://asa.scitation.org/doi/full/10.1121/1.3651223]

Proceedings of international conferences

[P1] Simko, J., Elie, B., & Turk, A. (2025). Self-supervised Optimality-Guided Learning of Speech Articulation. In Proc. Interspeech 2025 (pp. 1033-1037). [https://www.isca-archive.org/interspeech_2025/simko25_interspeech.pdf]

[P2] Elie, B., Doukhan, D., Uro, R., Yang, L. O., Rilliard, A., & Devauchelle, S. (2024). Articulatory Configurations across Genders and Periods in French Radio and TV archives. In Interspeech 2024 (pp. 3085-3089). ISCA. [https://www.isca-archive.org/interspeech_2024/elie24b_interspeech.pdf]

[P3] Elie, B., Simko, J., & Turk, A. (2024). A data-driven model of acoustic speech intelligibility for optimization-based models of speech production. In Proc. Interspeech 2024 (pp. 3610-3614). [https://www.isca-archive.org/interspeech_2024/elie24_interspeech.pdf]

[P4] Elie B., and Turk A. "Estimating virtual targets for lingual stop consonants using general Tau theory". Interspeech, Dublin (2023) [https://www.pure.ed.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/366879130/Interpseech_Tau_Theory_3_.pdf]

[P5] Elie B., Simko J., and Turk A. "Optimal control of speech with context-dependent articulatory targets". Interspeech, Dublin (2023) [https://www.pure.ed.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/366205045/Dynamic_articulatory_planning_of_speech_articulatory_movements_based_on_Optimal_Control_Theory.pdf]

[P6] Turk A., Elie B, and Simko J. "PlanArt: A modular platform for computational modeling of articulatory planning". ICPhS, Prague (2023) [https://www.pure.ed.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/344240289/ICPhS_PlanArt.pdf]

[P7] Elie B, Simko J., and Turk A. "Optimal control theory of speech production using probabilistic articulatory-acoustic models". ICPhS, Prague (2023) [https://www.pure.ed.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/344241392/ICPhS_Proba_model.pdf]

[P8] Wu Y., Chen L., Elie B., Suchanek F., Vasilescu I., and Lamel L. "Who's speaking? Predicting speaker profession from speech". ICPhS, Prague (2023). [https://www.pure.ed.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/367397320/icphs_2023.pdf]

[P9] Elie B., Gauvain J., Gauvain J.-L., and Lamel L. "Modeling the effect of military oxygen mask on speech characteristics". Interspeech, Brno, pp. 3306-3310 (2021) [https://perso.limsi.fr/elie/papers/is2021.pdf]

[P10] Laprie Y, Elie B., Tsukanova A., and Vuissoz P.-A. "Centerline articulatory models of the velum and epiglottis for articulatory synthesis of speech". EUSIPCO, Rome 2018  [https://perso.limsi.fr/elie/papers/velumEusipco.pdf]

[P11]  Tsukanova A., Elie B., and Laprie Y "Articulatory Speech Synthesis from Static Context-Aware Articulatory Targets". The 11th International Seminar on Speech Production, Tianjin 2017 [https://perso.limsi.fr/elie/papers/ISSP2017Tsukanova.pdf]

[P12] Laprie Y, Elie B., Vuissoz P.-A., and Tsukanova A., "Articulatory model of the epiglottis". The 11th International Seminar on Speech Production, Tianjin 2017. [https://perso.limsi.fr/elie/papers/epiglottisISSP.pdf]

[P13] Elie B., and Laprie Y. "Glottal opening and strategies of production of fricatives". Interspeech, Stockholm 2017 [https://perso.limsi.fr/elie/papers/elie_interspeech17.pdf]

[P14] Vuissoz P.-A, Elie B., Odille F, and Laprie Y. "High frame rate vocal tract MRI using compressed sensing on randomly Cartesian spoiled fast gradient echo". Proc. Intl. Soc. Mag. Reson. Med. 25 (2017)

[P15] Elie B., and Laprie Y. "Copy-synthesis of phrase-level utterances". EUSIPCO, Budapest 2016 [https://perso.limsi.fr/elie/papers/PaperCompressed.pdf]

[P16] Elie B., Laprie Y., Vuissoz P.-A., and Odille F. "High spatiotemporal cineMRI films using compressed sensing for acquiring articulatory data". EUSIPCO, Budapest 2016 [https://perso.limsi.fr/elie/papers/Elie_etal_eusipco2016.pdf]

[P17] Elie B., and Laprie Y. "A glottal chink model for the synthesis of voiced fricatives". ICASSP, Shanghai 2016 [https://perso.limsi.fr/elie/papers/ElieLaprie_ICASSP16.pdf]

[P18] Laprie Y., Elie B., and Tsukanova A. "2D articulatory velum modeling applied to copy synthesis of sentences containing nasal phonemes. ICPhS, Glasgow 2015 [https://perso.limsi.fr/elie/papers/ICPHS0283.pdf]

[P19] Elie B., and Laprie Y. "Audiovisual to area and length functions inversion of human vocal tract". EUSIPCO, Lisbon 2014 [https://perso.limsi.fr/elie/papers/Eusipco14.pdf]

[P20] Laprie Y., Sock R., Vaxelaire B., and Elie B. "Comment faire parler les images aux rayons X du conduit vocal". Congrès mondial de Linguistique Française 2014, Berlin 2014  [https://perso.limsi.fr/elie/papers/laprie_et_al.pdf]

[P21] Elie B., Gautier F., and David B. "Analysis of bridge mobility of violins", Stockholm Music Acoustics Conference, pp 54-59, Stockholm 2013 [https://perso.limsi.fr/elie/papers/elieetal_SMAC2013.pdf]

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