The bionic earpiece: Development of an advanced digital earpiece for audio and cognitive interfaces

仿生耳机：开发用于音频和认知接口的先进数字耳机

• 批准号: 566678-2021
• 负责人: Voix, JérémieJJ
• 金额: $ 18.57万
• 依托单位: École de technologie supérieure
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Alliance Grants
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=754390
• 关键词: bionic; earpiece; Development; advanced; digital

This NSERC Alliance research program will allow the research team of the industrial research chair in in-ear technologies (CRITIAS) together with 4 co-applicants and 6 collaborators to focus on the development of an advanced digital earpiece for audio and cognitive interfaces, dubbed the "Bionic Earpiece".This five-year research program will cover both software and hardware development, at various Technology Readiness Levels (TRL), to improve technologies already developed by CRITIAS by filling some knowledge gaps previously identified. The first focus is the development of new audio and radio signal processing algorithms for advanced hearing protection and communication in noise to benefit the industrial partner of this research program, EERS, in the improvement of its products in the field of occupational health and safety, with the support of its strategic partner, the American multinational 3M. The second focus is the development of hearing aid and in-ear biosensing functionalities to support EERS's research efforts in consumer applications for one of its recent strategic partners among GAFAM. The focus is on the use of new material, manufacturing processes and individualized design criteria for the development of a digital custom-fitted in-ear device of superior comfort with unique acoustics and electrophysiological capabilities. Such "bionic earpiece" will enable new medical applications and neuro-auditory technologies ranging from embedded diagnostics to the development of ultimate human-machine and brain-computer interfaces (BCI). It will enable EERS to further develop innovative hearing products for the industrial, military, consumer and medical markets.The program will benefit from the $637k cash contribution and the $667k in-kind received from EERS and will be also leveraged by a PROMPT grant and a MITACS Accelerate internship cluster. Through the commitment of its chairholder and that of the EERS management team, this program will provide its 11 graduate and 25 undergrad students with a solid scientific, technical and entrepreneurial training and thus gives Canadian industry a unique and coveted source of Highly Qualified Personnel in these domains.

这项 NSERC 联盟研究计划将允许入耳式技术工业研究主席 (CRITIAS) 的研究团队与 4 名共同申请人和 6 名合作者一起，专注于开发一种用于音频和认知接口的先进数字耳机，称为“仿生耳机”。这项为期五年的研究计划将涵盖不同技术准备水平 (TRL) 的软件和硬件开发，以改进 CRITIAS 已开发的技术 填补之前发现的一些知识空白。第一个重点是开发用于先进听力保护和噪声通信的新音频和无线电信号处理算法，以使该研究项目的工业合作伙伴EERS在其战略合作伙伴美国跨国公司3M的支持下改进其在职业健康和安全领域的产品。第二个重点是开发助听器和入耳式生物传感功能，以支持 EERS 为其最近的 GAFAM 战略合作伙伴之一在消费者应用方面的研究工作。重点是使用新材料、制造工艺和个性化设计标准来开发数字定制入耳式设备，该设备具有卓越的舒适度和独特的声学和电生理功能。这种“仿生耳机”将实现新的医疗应用和神经听觉技术，从嵌入式诊断到最终人机和脑机接口（BCI）的开发。它将使 EERS 能够进一步开发适用于工业、军事、消费者和医疗市场的创新型听力产品。该计划将受益于 EERS 提供的 63.7 万美元现金捐助和 66.7 万美元实物，并且还将得到 PROMPT 赠款和 MITACS Accelerate 实习集群的利用。通过其主席和 EERS 管理团队的承诺，该计划将为 11 名研究生和 25 名本科生提供扎实的科学、技术和创业培训，从而为加拿大工业界提供这些领域独特且令人垂涎的高素质人才来源。