The roles of spectral cues and auditory plasticity in auditory localisation, speech segregation and speech intelligibility. Our recent work shows that high frequency energy in speech is important for the localisation of speech and may also aid in improving speech intelligibility in noisy environments. The work proposed here will systematically explore this somewhat surprising new finding and the results will be incorporated into a predictive model of speech intelligibility under spatial listenin ....The roles of spectral cues and auditory plasticity in auditory localisation, speech segregation and speech intelligibility. Our recent work shows that high frequency energy in speech is important for the localisation of speech and may also aid in improving speech intelligibility in noisy environments. The work proposed here will systematically explore this somewhat surprising new finding and the results will be incorporated into a predictive model of speech intelligibility under spatial listening conditions. This work includes a systematic study of auditory functional plasticity to changes in the spatial cues. Taken together, the outcomes of this work will unlock a range of new approaches to enhancing spatial hearing in multi-channel communication devices and spatial hearing aids.Read moreRead less
Acoustic, spatial and informational cues used to solve the cocktail party problem. Speech is the principal mode of human communication and yet we understand little about how we are able to concentrate on one talker against a noisy background. Significant improvements in supporting listening by the hearing impaired, in teleconferencing systems and computer speech interfaces are dependent on a more advanced understanding of how we solve this cocktail party problem. This research explores the acous ....Acoustic, spatial and informational cues used to solve the cocktail party problem. Speech is the principal mode of human communication and yet we understand little about how we are able to concentrate on one talker against a noisy background. Significant improvements in supporting listening by the hearing impaired, in teleconferencing systems and computer speech interfaces are dependent on a more advanced understanding of how we solve this cocktail party problem. This research explores the acoustic, spatial and informational cues used by the healthy auditory system to achieve this remarkable feat of signal processing. There is significant potential for commercialization of the IP that will arise from this research.Read moreRead less
ARC Research Network for Enabling Human Communication. The Human Communication Network promotes interdisciplinary research in speech, language, and sound by and between humans and machines. The network connects leading and emerging researchers across disciplines, exploits previously unrecognised intersections, supports interdisciplinary graduate training and exchanges, provides database storage infrastructure, and consults with industry and government to set, not follow, research agendas. By ge ....ARC Research Network for Enabling Human Communication. The Human Communication Network promotes interdisciplinary research in speech, language, and sound by and between humans and machines. The network connects leading and emerging researchers across disciplines, exploits previously unrecognised intersections, supports interdisciplinary graduate training and exchanges, provides database storage infrastructure, and consults with industry and government to set, not follow, research agendas. By generating an explosion of new approaches and knowledge, the network will build Australia's reputation as a leader in communication science and technology via advances in automatic speech recognition, distress call monitoring, hearing prostheses, web interfaces, and data retrieval and data mining systems.Read moreRead less
Optimal Training Methods for Lexical Tone Perception by Children with Cochlear Implants: Application of Experimental Psychology Techniques. Cochlear implants (CIs) stimulate the auditory nerve via electrodes in the cochlear to provide auditory information to people who would otherwise be functionally deaf. Cochlear site stimulation is at a constant rate so, despite the genius of the CI, it cannot convey pitch information effectively. Such information is essential for perceiving and speaking ton ....Optimal Training Methods for Lexical Tone Perception by Children with Cochlear Implants: Application of Experimental Psychology Techniques. Cochlear implants (CIs) stimulate the auditory nerve via electrodes in the cochlear to provide auditory information to people who would otherwise be functionally deaf. Cochlear site stimulation is at a constant rate so, despite the genius of the CI, it cannot convey pitch information effectively. Such information is essential for perceiving and speaking tone languages, in which word meaning depends on consonants, vowels, and tones (conveyed mainly by pitch). A training method to improve tone perception will be developed with non-tone language non-CI through to tone language CI children drawing on experimental psychology methods, auditory and visual (lip & face) speech information, exaggerated tone cues, and metalinguistic instruction.Read moreRead less
Audio-visual Information for Speech-hand Gestures. How does audio-visual information influence human movement and communication? We will investigate whether speech and hand gestures involve shared information about the timing of rhythmic movements. Using dynamical systems theory and brain imaging techniques, we will study rhythms that emerge during simultaneous speaking and finger tapping in both stutterers and non-stutterers, and in left-handers and right-handers. The communicative interaction ....Audio-visual Information for Speech-hand Gestures. How does audio-visual information influence human movement and communication? We will investigate whether speech and hand gestures involve shared information about the timing of rhythmic movements. Using dynamical systems theory and brain imaging techniques, we will study rhythms that emerge during simultaneous speaking and finger tapping in both stutterers and non-stutterers, and in left-handers and right-handers. The communicative interaction of two persons performing speech-hand gestures will be examined. Results will clarify how brain asymmetry affects gestural coordination in stutterers, how stuttering can be treated, and the hypothesis that speech and language evolved from a communication system based on hand gestures.
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Complex Motion Processing in Primate Visual Cortex. As we move through the world, a dynamic visual image is projected onto our retinas. The pattern of movement in the retinal image contains information about three-dimensional structure in the environment and the time of impending collisions. Our visual systems are expert at exploiting this information, enabling us to navigate through complex visual environments at a level far beyond the most sophisticated artificial systems. We plan to investiga ....Complex Motion Processing in Primate Visual Cortex. As we move through the world, a dynamic visual image is projected onto our retinas. The pattern of movement in the retinal image contains information about three-dimensional structure in the environment and the time of impending collisions. Our visual systems are expert at exploiting this information, enabling us to navigate through complex visual environments at a level far beyond the most sophisticated artificial systems. We plan to investigate complex motion processing in the primate brain by recording the responses of neurons in identified regions of the visual cortex of macaque monkeys to a range of behaviourally relevant motion stimuli.Read moreRead less
Motion and Spatial Coding in Vision. The results of this project will have implications for the design and implementation of artificial visual systems. Completion of this project will depend upon international collaboration - forging links between a young Australian investigator and outstanding overseas scientists as well as providing excellent training opportunities. Subsequent publication of the research in top-ranking international journals will further promote Australian science abroad.
Chromatic Inputs to Cortical Receptive Fields in Primates. The human eye contains three kinds of receptors for daytime vision, named blue, green and red cones for their sensitivity to different regions of the visible spectrum. It is known that blue cones contribute to brain pathways for colour vision, but recent data suggest there is also 'cross-talk' of blue cone signals to pathways for motion and high-acuity vision. This project comprises precise measurement of blue cone signals, and anatomica ....Chromatic Inputs to Cortical Receptive Fields in Primates. The human eye contains three kinds of receptors for daytime vision, named blue, green and red cones for their sensitivity to different regions of the visible spectrum. It is known that blue cones contribute to brain pathways for colour vision, but recent data suggest there is also 'cross-talk' of blue cone signals to pathways for motion and high-acuity vision. This project comprises precise measurement of blue cone signals, and anatomical tracing of blue cone pathways, in a primate model for human vision. The data will improve our basic knowledge of how the brain processes sensory signals.Read moreRead less
Using written language to probe speech recognition models. Speech recognition models fall into two principal classes, with fundamentally different processing architectures. Feedback models (e.g. TRACE, McClelland & Elman, 1986) allow lexical knowledge to exert top-down control over phonemic analysis. Feedforward models (e.g. Merge, Norris, McQueen & Cutler, 2000) assume that information flow is entirely bottom-up. Our project adopts an innovative approach to testing between these model classe ....Using written language to probe speech recognition models. Speech recognition models fall into two principal classes, with fundamentally different processing architectures. Feedback models (e.g. TRACE, McClelland & Elman, 1986) allow lexical knowledge to exert top-down control over phonemic analysis. Feedforward models (e.g. Merge, Norris, McQueen & Cutler, 2000) assume that information flow is entirely bottom-up. Our project adopts an innovative approach to testing between these model classes, by examining the influence of written-word knowledge on speech perception. To distinguish the models, contrasts must test different processing levels and examine strategy effects. TRACE favors broad effects with limited strategic influence; Merge favors lexical effects that are necessarily sensitive to strategic factorsRead moreRead less
Reconciling perceptual and cognitive accounts of dyslexia: The neural rate deficit hypothesis. The proposed research will form part of a co-ordinated program to understand the causes of dyslexia, a disorder that affects a large number of children and often persists into adulthood. It complements parallel efforts to elucidate the genetic basis of dyslexia, the heterogeneity and subtypes of dyslexia, and the developmental precursors to the disorder. This research will inform early intervention and ....Reconciling perceptual and cognitive accounts of dyslexia: The neural rate deficit hypothesis. The proposed research will form part of a co-ordinated program to understand the causes of dyslexia, a disorder that affects a large number of children and often persists into adulthood. It complements parallel efforts to elucidate the genetic basis of dyslexia, the heterogeneity and subtypes of dyslexia, and the developmental precursors to the disorder. This research will inform early intervention and remediation efforts and will also assist in the understanding of the normal process of reading acquisition in children.Read moreRead less