Project Group Hearing, Speech and Audio Technology

Fraunhofer Institute for D i g i t a l M e d i a Te c h n o l o g y I D M T

Project Group Hearing, Speech and Audio Technology

Fraunhofer - Partner for increased market competitiveness Industrial companies and service organisations benefit from the scientific expertise and technical resources of the Project offer custom services for different markets with their different research specialities: • Research cooperations, development services and consulting • Contract research up to prototype production • Customer-specific adaptation of Fraunhofer developments • Measuring and evaluation methods • Production of expertises, studies and concepts

Fraunhofer IDMT The project group was established in Oldenburg in 2008 as a branch of the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT. At the main location of the Institute in Ilmenau in Thuringia, Germany, and in the branches in Erfurt and Oldenburg,

Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT Project Group Hearing, Speech and Audio Technology Marie-Curie-Straße 2 26129 Oldenburg Germany Phone +49 441 2172-400 Fax +49 441 2172-450 [email protected] Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Dr. med. Birger Kollmeier Head of Project Group Hearing, Speech and Audio Technology Dr. rer. nat. Jens-E. Appell Head of Department Project Group Hearing, Speech and Audio Technology

there are more than a one-hundred employees working on the research portfolio in the area of audio-visual applications.

www.idmt.fraunhofer.de

photo acknowledgement: istockphoto.com/Joshua Hodge Photography

Group Hearing, Speech and Audio Technology. The scientists










Project Group for Hearing, Speech and Audio Technology of Fraunhofer IDMT

Prediction of speech intelligibility and acoustic product quality assurance

Optimized presentation of speech in communication and security applications

The goal of the Project Group Hearing, Speech and Audio Tech-

The project group develops measuring methods and models to

The project group offers particular expertise in the area of

nology is to implement scientific findings on auditory perception

describe auditory perception. Research examines the factors that

audio signal processing – from recording with microphone

of normal and impaired hearing in technological applications.

influence speech intelligibility and subjectively perceived sound

arrays and reduction of interfering noise through to hearing-

Working in close cooperation with university fundamental

quality. As part of its contract research activities, the working

adapted audio reproduction. In addition to improving speech

research departments and as a partner in the cluster of excellence

group develops customer-specific evaluation methods for quality

intelligibility in communication systems such as conference and

»Hearing4all«, the scientists carry out applied research and

control in sound design.

telepresence systems, the scientists also develop applications

development in the fields of telecommunications, multimedia,

for civilian security.

health and care services, building technology, transport, industrial production and security.

Main research topics

Personalized hearing assistance in telephones and media systems

User-friendly human-technology interaction

Everyone has their own auditory perception, own sound preference and own sensation of loudness. From the age of fifty

Acoustic technologies are increasingly used in human-

• Modelling and prediction of auditory perception

onwards, normal hearing ability deteriorates in many people.

technology interaction. This includes speech control as well as

• Personalized speech and sound reproduction in media and

The project group develops signal processing algorithms and user

automatic event detection as part of acoustic monitoring.

interfaces to adapt audio reproduction in electronic media and

The project group develops audio system technology and

communication devices to individual hearing requirements.

operating interfaces for assistive technologies, which offer

communication systems

• Computer-based, acoustic speech and event recognition • Audio signal enhancement

assistance and safety in everyday life particularly for the elderly

• Use and acceptance studies for assistive technologies

and persons with impaired health (Ambient Assisted Living). The scientists also perform studies with end users on behalf of customers to examine the operation and acceptance of new technologies.
































































































