Research
 

Human Communication Research Centre

Research programs in the Human Communication Research Centre focus on speech and language development for severely and profoundly deaf people, as well as automatic speech recognition. Research in the Human Communication Research Centre is undertaken across a number of units.

Speech processing & automatic speech recognition (ASR) unit
A cochlear implant allows people to hear by electrically stimulating the auditory nerve. Ideally, this electrical stimulation would precisely mimic the signal normally produced by sound (acoustical stimulation) in normal hearing. However, currently we can only approximate this with electrical stimulation. As a result many people with Bionic Ears cannot hear as well as normal listeners. Research in this unit is seeking to close this gap by designing electrical stimulation strategies that will more closely mimic acoustical stimulation.

Researchers in the speech processing & ASR unit. From right to left David Grayden, Hamish Meffin, Anthony Burkitt, Owen Kenny and Graeme Clark
Key research projects include:

Language & cognition unit
Despite the success of the cochlear implant in providing improved perceptual skills, many children still fall behind in educational progress. This unit aims to examine the impact of early hearing loss on the development of cognitive abilities and how this interacts with speech and language development. The mechanisms of brain plasticity that contribute to learning in early life are being explored which will lead to the development of habilitation and educational strategies that provide the greatest opportunities for hearing impaired children. The major research project undertaken in this unit is:

 


  Date Created: Thursday February 19 2004
  Last Updated:  Friday July 14 2006
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