Quarterly update 16 - Computational Audiology

Newsroom Computational Audiology, Sep 3

Dear all,
Are you attending the World Congres of Audiology from September 19-22? Please make sure to attend our Computational Audiology Network Special Session, scheduled for Sunday, September 22, from 10:00 to 11:00 AM and join our social gathering on Friday night, September 20. Last opportunity to join the Summer School on Machine Learning & Numerics for Acoustics and look back at IHCON2024.

CAN at upcoming WCA

The special session will highlight current research on machine learning for improving speech and music perception, personalized neural network algorithms for hearing aids, automatic audiometry, and AI chatbots for hearing healthcare. The presentations are outlined below and will be followed by a panel discussion driven by questions from the audience.

Talks:

Improved sound quality in personalized neural-network-based hearing-aid algorithms by Prof Sarah Verhulst, Ghent University, Belgium
The Cadenza and Clarity projects: Using machine learning challenges to improving music and speech for those with hearing loss, Dr Simone Graetzer, University of Salford, UK
Automating air- and bone-conduction audiometry with masking, Dr Nihaad Paraouty, iAudiogram, France
AI chatbots delivering Hearing Healthcare? by Prof De Wet Swanepoel, University of Pretoria, South Africa

Chairs:

Jan-Willem Wasmann, Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen, NL
Tobias Goehring, University of Cambridge, UK

Also, we would like to invite CAN-SIG members and Friends of CAN to our CAN social gathering on Friday night. After the ISA General Assembly, we will gather at 19:30 and walk to a bar to have a drink (starting approximately at 20:00). Please let us know if you can join by emailing president [AT] computationalaudiology.com or contacting one of us directly.

Location: Nodd Bar
Address: 2 Espl. du Général de Gaulle, 92400 Courbevoie, France
Directions: Google Maps Link
It’s a 10-15 minute walk from the WCA venue.

IHCON2024

The International Hearing-Aid Research Conference (IHCON, I-H-CON, suggestion “I HeaR Con”?) 2024, held from August 20-25 in Lake Tahoe, USA, was a dynamic gathering for audiologists and researchers worldwide. This intimate biennial conference, attended by approximately 210 participants (175 plus about 35 scholarship recipients) from both academia and industry, provided a platform for exploring cutting-edge advancements in audiology. Set in the serene forests of Lake Tahoe, with occasional bear sightings, the conference offered a focused environment with no parallel sessions, encouraging attendees to engage deeply with each presentation and poster session.

Key Highlights and Innovations

Deep Neural Networks in Hearing Aids: One of the prominent themes at IHCON 2024 was the application of Deep Neural Networks (DNN) in hearing aids in complex, noisy environments. The currently inevitable processing delays with DNNs require a balance between computational power, battery life, latency, and performance. Initial user experiences are promising despite these challenges.

Over-the-Counter (OTC) Hearing Aids: The conference also highlighted the growing market for OTC hearing aids, examining user adherence and the effectiveness of self-adjustment versus professional fitting. This discussion is particularly relevant as OTC hearing aids become more accessible and offer an affordable option for many individuals with hearing loss. The overall update of OTC remains low, but this marketplace only just opened up.

Notable Presentations

Keynote speakers at IHCON 2024 brought fresh perspectives to the field, including talks by:

Sophie Scott: Discussed the intricate relationship between speech production and perception, emphasizing the synchronization that occurs during joint reading or conversation
Lauren Hadley: Presented her findings on conversational dynamics in varying noise environments, revealing how ambient sound influences speech fluency and turn-taking.
Jan-Willem Wasmann: Presented on the history and advancements of AI in audiology, emphasizing the benefits of computational approaches.
Matthew Mason: Discussed bone conduction hearing in animals, highlighting differences in auditory systems across species.
Dorothea Kolossa: Spoke on advances in deep learning including the integration of audio-visual cues and the importance of transparency and responsible AI.
Megan Knoetze: Examined the effectiveness of over-the-counter hearing aids and the benefits of user-adjusted fittings.
Carlos Benitez-Barrera: Analyzed factors influencing hearing aid adherence, including cultural and environmental noise aspects.
Viji Easwar: Covered the diagnostic and rehabilitative processes for pediatric audiology, emphasizing the importance of early intervention.
Stefan Stenfelt: Presented on binaural hearing via bone conduction, focusing on the challenges of achieving effective stereo hearing with bone conduction devices due to the low interaural attenuation.

CAN was well represented at IHCON. Jan-Willem Wasmann had the honor of giving a keynote about computational audiology and participating in a panel discussion about Disruptive AI in hearing healthcare. The panel discussion, which included the Chief Technology Officers from Phonak (Stefan Launer) and GN (Andrew Dittberner) and Jorge Mejia (NAL), was moderated by Brent Edwards (NAL).

Many thanks to the IHCON organizers. The technical committee with Inga Holube, Erin Picou, and Ian Wiggins had created a program that fitted well together, and the conference ran smoothly and in pleasant vibes thanks to the organizational chair Sunil Puria and Kevin O’Connor.

News and Announcements

The CAN Special Interest Group (CAN-SIG) has 100 members! Want to join us? Find out more about CAN-SIG membership here.
Karsten Bo Rasmussen just joined the CAN Advisory Board. Details of the advisory board can be found here.
VCCA2025 will be great. Further details will follow soon…
Last opportunity: Summer School on Machine Learning & Numerics for Acoustics
- 19 – 20 September 2024
  Collaborative Research Centre Hearing Acoustics
  University of Oldenburg
  📆Registration deadline extended until 6 September 2024 (no registration fees)
- More information and registration: https://uol.de/en/sfb1330/summerschool2024

Up Next

Stay tuned for more details on the upcoming. Computational Audiology Network events. We look forward to your participation! For now, we wish everybody a great summer break!

Last edited 3 Sep 24.

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