It is recognised that current hearing aid fitting algorithms can corrupt fine timing cues in speech. This paper presents a fitting algorithm that aims to improve speech intelligibility, while preserving the temporal fine structure. The algorithm combines the signal envelope amplification from a standard hearing aid fitting algorithm with the fine timing information available to unaided listener...

This paper reports on the development of Chatako-AID, a communication aid for non-vocal people using corpus-based cocatenative speech synthesis by creating a speech corpus especially designed for such use. The concept of Chatako-AID; synthesis with the user’s voice, which makes use of precomposed texts, is highly appreciated by the target user. This confirms that the recording of a minimum set ...

The design of a two-channel compression hearing aid for persons with moderate sensorineural hearing losses with recruitment is described. The aid applies slow-acting automatic gain control (AGC) to the whole signal, and then splits the signal into two bands, with separate fast-acting (syllabic) AGC in each band. Trials evaluating the aid have shown that it allows speech in quiet to be understoo...

In our previous work, we proposed a speaking-aid system converting electrolaryngeal speech (EL speech) to normal speech using a statistical voice conversion technique. The main weakness of our system is the difficulty of estimating natural contours of the fundamental frequency (F0) from EL speech including only built-in F0 contours. This paper proposes another speaking-aid system with an air-pr...

The present study aimed to investigate the changing relationship between aided speech recognition and cognitive function during the first 6 months of hearing aid use. Twenty-seven first-time hearing aid users with symmetrical mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss were recruited. Aided speech recognition thresholds in noise were obtained in the hearing aid fitting session as well as at 3 a...

This paper describes the development of a voice-input voice-output communication aid (VIVOCA) for people with disordered or unintelligible speech, initially concentrating on people with severe dysarthria. The VIVOCA is intended to recognize and interpret an individual’s disordered speech and speak out an equivalent message in clear synthesized speech. User consultation suggests that such a devi...

The 'technological hypothesis' proposes that gestural language evolved in early hominins to enable the cultural transmission of stone tool-making skills, with speech appearing later in response to the complex lithic industries of more recent hominins. However, no flintknapping study has assessed the efficiency of speech alone (unassisted by gesture) as a tool-making transmission aid. Here we sh...