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THE EFFORT TO DEVELOP ARTIFICIAL HEARING SYSTEMS FOR THE DEAF HAS RECENTLY BEEN…

Award Information

Agency:
Department of Health and Human Services 		Branch:
N/A 		Award ID:
3279 		Program Year/Program:
1985 / SBIR
Agency Tracking Number:
3279 		Solicitation Year:
N/A 		Solicitation Topic Code:
N/A 		Solicitation Number:
N/A
Small Business Information
Artificial Hearing Systems Cp
1125 Ne 125th St Suite 206 North Miami, FL 33161
View profile »
Woman-Owned: No
Minority-Owned: No
HUBZone-Owned: No
 
Phase 1
Fiscal Year: 1985
Title: THE EFFORT TO DEVELOP ARTIFICIAL HEARING SYSTEMS FOR THE DEAF HAS RECENTLY BEEN FOCUSED ON TACTUAL VOCODERS, DEVICES THAT TRANSDUCE ACOUSTIC ENERGY INTO VIBRATORY OR ELECTROCUTANEOUS SIGNALS WHICH ARE THEN APPLIED TO THE SKIN.
Agency: HHS
Contract: N/A
Award Amount: $50,000.00
 

Abstract:

THE EFFORT TO DEVELOP ARTIFICIAL HEARING SYSTEMS FOR THE DEAF HAS RECENTLY BEEN FOCUSED ON TACTUAL VOCODERS, DEVICES THAT TRANSDUCE ACOUSTIC ENERGY INTO VIBRATORY OR ELECTROCUTANEOUS SIGNALS WHICH ARE THEN APPLIED TO THE SKIN. CURRENT TACTUAL VOCODERS, HOWEVER, ARE BASED LARGELY UPON UNTESTED ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT OPTIMAL FILTER CONFIGURATIONS FOR SPEECH PROCESSING. IN A STUDY WHICH CAREFULLY CONTROLS DEVICE VARIABLES (THROUGH USE OF SOFTWARE FILTERS AND COMPUTER DRIVEN DISPLAYS) WHILE SYSTEMATICALLY VARYING FILTER CONFIGURATIONS, PERCEPTION OF CRITICAL FEATURES OF THE SPEECH CODE WILL BE STUDIED. USING PSYCHOPHYSICAL TECHNIQUES, THE RESEARCH SEEKS TO DESCRIBE THE TACTUAL PERCEPTION OF SPEECH FEATURES BASED ON SIGNALS PROCESSED THROUGH FILTER BANKS WITH LINEAR, LOGARITHMIC AND COMPOSITE SPACINGS FOR BOTH 32- AND 16-CHANNEL DISPLAYS. THE STUDIES WILL: 1. DETERMINE DISCRIMINATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF SPEECH CONTRASTS ALONG VARIOUS SPEECH-SIMULATING CONTINUA FOR EACH OF THE FILTER CONFIGURATIONS; 2. PROVIDE AN EMPIRICAL BASIS FOR THE DESIGN OF TACTUAL VOCODERS WITH OPTIMAL FILTER CONFIGURATIONS; AND 3. LAY THE FOUNDATIONS FOR A MINIATURIZED TACTUAL VOCODER THIS WORK IS DIRECTED TOWARD THE DEVELOPMENT AND ULTIMATE MANUFACTURE OF A PORTABLE, WEARABLE, COSMETICALLY ACCEPTABLE, ARTIFICIAL HEARING PROSTHESIS FOR THE DEAF.

Principal Investigator:

Kathleen vergara
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
3058956500

Business Contact:

Small Business Information at Submission:

Artificial Hearing Systems Cor
1125 N.e. 125 Street, Suite 20 6 North Miami, FL 33161

EIN/Tax ID:
DUNS: N/A
Number of Employees: N/A
Woman-Owned: No
Minority-Owned: No
HUBZone-Owned: No