Carlos Benítez-Barrera, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Communication Sciences and Disorders
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Inclusive Soundscapes: Future Hearing Aid Solutions for Underserved Populations
In this talk, I will present recent research on diverse soundscapes experienced across different cultures and communities, emphasizing the critical need for inclusive hearing aid solutions for underserved populations. Conventional hearing aids fail to adequately monitor the auditory environment users encounter on a day-to-day basis. Our research highlights the need for innovative hearing aid features that leverage environmental monitoring. By integrating advancements in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, we propose that this technology could be used to dynamically analyze and adapt to the specific auditory needs of individuals in real-world sound environments. As a result, soundscape analyses could be used to provide amplification based on the user’s immediate environment and unique hearing profile. This approach could revolutionize hearing aid functionality, shifting from a one-size-fits-all model to a more personalized and context-aware system.