Enhancing spatial hearing with cochlear implants: exploring the role of AI, multimodal interaction and perceptual training

TL;DR

This paper proposes a multidisciplinary framework to improve spatial hearing in cochlear implant users by integrating AI, multimodal interaction, and perceptual training, addressing a previously neglected aspect of CI performance.

Contribution

It introduces a novel collaborative research approach combining expertise from medicine, psychology, and engineering to enhance spatial hearing in CI users.

Findings

Framework promotes interdisciplinary collaboration

Highlights importance of spatial hearing in CI performance

Lays groundwork for future AI-driven enhancements

Abstract

Cochlear implants (CIs) have been developed to the point where they can restore hearing and speech understanding in a large proportion of patients. Although spatial hearing is central to controlling and directing attention and to enabling speech understanding in noisy environments, it has been largely neglected in the past. We propose here a multi-disciplinary research framework in which physicians, psychologists and engineers collaborate to improve spatial hearing for CI users.