Located in Omaha, Nebraska, Boys Town Research Hospital provides evidence- based assessment and treatment for children with language disorder and hearing impairment, as well as those with behavioural, emotional and physical problems. The Language in Motion Lab, housed in the Center for Childhood Deafness, Language and Learning, is led by Endowed Chair, Lisa Goffman, Ph.D., CCC-SLP. Dr. Goffman is using a powerful combination of Vicon’s cameras and software to collect upper lip, lower lip and jaw data that is synchronised with an analogue acoustic signal. From these recordings, Dr. Goffman’s research team can study the patterning stability and structure of articulatory motion as children learn words and produce sentences.

Additionally, Dr. Goffman will collect hand motion synchronised with a video signal as part of her team’s studies on how non-linguistic activity, such as the production of musical motion (like drumming), hand patterns and gesture/sign language sequences are learned by young children with, and without, developmental language disorder.

“The Language in Motion lab used a different motion capture provider for over 25 years, and with Vicon, we’re thrilled to now be able to capture data from children with wireless markers,” said Dr. Goffman. “The ability to record hand motion and speech motion simultaneously is also a game changer. The possibilities are seemingly endless as my team and I look to further explore how toddlers and preschoolers develop the language and speech motor skills that, in tandem, are required for language production.”

“We’re proud to have been selected by Boys Town, which boasts a century-long legacy and is recognised today as a national leader in child and family care, healthcare and research,” said Dr. Felix Tsui, Product Manager from Vicon. “We’re confident Boys Town’s use of our technology will be yet another example of how Vicon solutions really shine in life sciences, both in clinical and research settings."