HCC-Small: Assistive Listening Devices and Voice Processing Platforms for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

HCC-Small：针对聋哑人和听力障碍人士的助听设备和语音处理平台

• 批准号: 0812576
• 负责人: Lawrence Saul
• 金额: $ 14.9万
• 依托单位: University of California-San Diego
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2008
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2008-08-01 至 2011-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0812576&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: HCC; Small; Assistive; Listening; Devices

This research aims to develop assistive listening devices and voice processing platforms that facilitate communication with the deaf and hard of hearing. To achieve this goal, the PI and his team will both adapt existing technologies in speech processing and pattern recognition, and lay the foundation for entirely novel forms of human-computer interaction. Specific devices and platforms that will be developed will be drawn from the following five categories. (1) A dialogue interpreter that facilitates the inclusion of deaf users in dual or multi-speaker conversations; the conversations are assumed to take place at a table (in the home or office), which accommodates CPUs for speech recognition and monitors for display. (2) A voice monitor that provides hard-of-hearing users with immediate, subtle feedback on the level of their vocal projections; without this feedback, inappropriate modulation can introduce awkwardness in social interactions, leading over time to withdrawal and isolation. (3) A voice compass that provides rapid directional notification during multi-speaker conversation; such a device would assist deaf lip-readers who cannot otherwise track the turns of different speakers (lip reading in this setting presumes the ability to know where to look). (4) An audio event detector that recognizes salient words, prompts, and sounds in the user's environment; such a device could notify users with hearing loss to someone calling their name or to important work-related sounds, thus reducing frustrations and boosting employability. (5) A wearable transmitter/receiver that uses primitive speech recognition to allow a user with speech and hearing to communicate simple words to a late deafened love one; such a device would complement residual hearing, gestures, and lip-reading.Broader Impacts: Over 35 million Americans have some form of hearing loss. Moreover, one-fifth of these cases are estimated to involve severe or profound hearing loss. Incidence of hearing loss increases with age: it affects roughly 2% of children under age 18 but over 30% of adults over age 65. Thus, the percentage of affected adults will grow with the aging of the baby-boomer generation. There is a tremendous need for better integration of people with hearing loss in the home, community, and workplace. Extreme barriers in communication often exist between members of the Deaf community and the hearing population. Even within a single household, these barriers can create a desperate sense of isolation for a family member who is deaf. In the workplace, the members of the Deaf community are as able-bodied as the rest of the population, but difficulties in communication create barriers to optimal employment and retention in current positions.

本研究旨在开发辅助听力设备和语音处理平台，以促进与聋人和听力障碍者的沟通。 为了实现这一目标，PI和他的团队将调整语音处理和模式识别方面的现有技术，并为全新形式的人机交互奠定基础。 将开发的具体设备和平台将从以下五个类别中抽取。 (1)一种对话解释器，便于将聋人用户纳入双或多扬声器对话中;假设对话发生在桌子上（在家中或办公室），其中容纳用于语音识别的CPU和用于显示的监视器。 (2)一种语音监控器，为重听用户提供关于其语音预测水平的即时、微妙的反馈;如果没有这种反馈，不适当的调制可能会在社交互动中引入尴尬，随着时间的推移导致退缩和孤立。 (3)一种语音罗盘，在多人交谈时提供快速的方向通知;这样的设备将帮助失聪的唇读者，他们无法跟踪不同说话者的转向（唇读阅读在这种情况下假定有能力知道看哪里）。 (4)一种音频事件检测器，可以识别用户环境中的突出单词、提示和声音;这样的设备可以通知听力损失的用户有人叫他们的名字或与工作相关的重要声音，从而减少挫折感并提高就业能力。 (5)一种可穿戴的发射器/接收器，使用原始的语音识别技术，允许有语言和听力的用户向已故的爱人传达简单的话语;这样的设备将补充剩余的听力，手势和唇读。更广泛的影响：超过3500万美国人有某种形式的听力损失。 据估计，这些病例中有五分之一涉及严重或极重度听力损失。 听力损失的发病率随着年龄的增长而增加：18岁以下的儿童约占2%，但65岁以上的成年人超过30%。 因此，受影响的成年人的比例将随着婴儿潮一代的老龄化而增加。 听力损失患者需要更好地融入家庭、社区和工作场所。 聋人社区成员和听力正常的人之间往往存在着极大的沟通障碍。 即使在一个家庭中，这些障碍也会给失聪的家庭成员造成绝望的孤立感。 在工作场所，聋人社区的成员与其他人口一样身体健全，但沟通困难对最佳就业和保留现有职位造成了障碍。