Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354596
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$20,000.00
Summary
Perception and Action in Auditory Scenes (PAAS): Neural, Behavioural, Computational and Mechanical Systems. Auditory scenes are temporal and ephemeral yet pervasively influence human life. How humans negotiate such scenes has not been solved, a fact highlighted by attempts to build machines to respond to speech, warnings etc., in real-world situations with room reverberation, different talkers, and background noise. No one discipline can solve such problems. In this network outstanding researche ....Perception and Action in Auditory Scenes (PAAS): Neural, Behavioural, Computational and Mechanical Systems. Auditory scenes are temporal and ephemeral yet pervasively influence human life. How humans negotiate such scenes has not been solved, a fact highlighted by attempts to build machines to respond to speech, warnings etc., in real-world situations with room reverberation, different talkers, and background noise. No one discipline can solve such problems. In this network outstanding researchers from physical, medical, human, and social sciences with interests in speech, music and audition will provide insights into how humans and machines localize, recognize, interpret and produce auditory events, and advance frontier technologies, e.g., automatic speech recognition, hearing prostheses, auditory monitoring/warning systems.Read moreRead less
A Scalable Theory of Behavior Composition for Practical Engineering Models of Human Performance. Minimizing human error and maximizing human performance is a major design goal in safety critical systems. The development of methods for affordable human performance modeling has widespread applicability for evaluating user-system interfaces. The compositional method explored here has been shown to make accurate predictions reduce model development time by an order of magnitude. Large safety critica ....A Scalable Theory of Behavior Composition for Practical Engineering Models of Human Performance. Minimizing human error and maximizing human performance is a major design goal in safety critical systems. The development of methods for affordable human performance modeling has widespread applicability for evaluating user-system interfaces. The compositional method explored here has been shown to make accurate predictions reduce model development time by an order of magnitude. Large safety critical applications, such as military or air traffic control systems, would benefit greatly. The proposed work tests whether the compositional methods will scale to more complex domains. The work will be coordinated with Australian industry, academia, and government research efforts.Read moreRead less
Development of a computational model for the prediction of mental workload in air traffic control. The aim of the project is to develop a computational model that can measure the flow of traffic through an air sector, and predict the level of workload that an air traffic controller will experience, as well as the overall risk of breakdowns in separation between aircaft. The purpose is to develop a tool that can be used for the purposes of risk analysis and scenario planning. This is a multidisci ....Development of a computational model for the prediction of mental workload in air traffic control. The aim of the project is to develop a computational model that can measure the flow of traffic through an air sector, and predict the level of workload that an air traffic controller will experience, as well as the overall risk of breakdowns in separation between aircaft. The purpose is to develop a tool that can be used for the purposes of risk analysis and scenario planning. This is a multidisciplinary project, integrating recent models of human memory and reasoning, with formal methods for the analysis of human-computer systems. The project will advance our understanding of human memory and reasoning in complex real-world systems.Read moreRead less
Developing and evaluating a theoretically grounded novice driver education program incorporating simulators. Australian young drivers are 13 per cent of the population but account for nearly a quarter of road deaths. This project aims to develop a research informed, theory-driven education intervention that includes a simulator component to improve their driving skills and attitudes. A process and outcome evaluation aims to assess the effectiveness of the training including the impact on how ind ....Developing and evaluating a theoretically grounded novice driver education program incorporating simulators. Australian young drivers are 13 per cent of the population but account for nearly a quarter of road deaths. This project aims to develop a research informed, theory-driven education intervention that includes a simulator component to improve their driving skills and attitudes. A process and outcome evaluation aims to assess the effectiveness of the training including the impact on how individuals learn to drive, changes in skill and attitudes as well as the influence on crashes and offences. It is intended that a second parallel study will adapt the intervention for Indigenous Australians and examine the effectiveness of this adaptation.Read moreRead less
Discovering genes for singing ability in Australian families. Music abilities are core to what makes us human, with singing ubiquitous in all cultures. Anecdotal evidence suggests that singing ability runs in families, supporting its genetic basis, however no research has systematically traced it across generations. Using an innovative web-based singing program and the latest molecular genetic techniques, this project aims to discover singing ability genes through the first Australian study of l ....Discovering genes for singing ability in Australian families. Music abilities are core to what makes us human, with singing ubiquitous in all cultures. Anecdotal evidence suggests that singing ability runs in families, supporting its genetic basis, however no research has systematically traced it across generations. Using an innovative web-based singing program and the latest molecular genetic techniques, this project aims to discover singing ability genes through the first Australian study of large families with many talented singers. This will generate new knowledge on the origins of human musicality and help Australia develop a sustainable source of cultural capital. It will build interdisciplinary research capacity and inform bespoke music learning programs that account for individual differences.Read moreRead less
The genetic basis of singing ability. This project aims to explore the heritability of music ability, focusing on singing and the contribution of genetic and environmental influences. Research suggests that deliberate practice (more than 10,000 hours) produces skilled musicianship, with minimal investigation of genetic influences. Mapping the human genome has opened up a new scientific frontier, and this project’s findings are expected to lead to the discovery of genes for singing. This will hel ....The genetic basis of singing ability. This project aims to explore the heritability of music ability, focusing on singing and the contribution of genetic and environmental influences. Research suggests that deliberate practice (more than 10,000 hours) produces skilled musicianship, with minimal investigation of genetic influences. Mapping the human genome has opened up a new scientific frontier, and this project’s findings are expected to lead to the discovery of genes for singing. This will help design and deliver music education programmes that take individual differences into account, differentiating between heritable aspects of musicianship and those more influenced by training.Read moreRead less
Can attentional re-training reduce food cravings and consumption? This project aims to determine the impact of a procedure involving the re-training of attention to food cues on food cravings and food intake. Results will advance our understanding of food cravings and contribute to interventions aimed at curbing unwanted cravings and (over) consumption.
Designing work roles for crew operating multiple unmanned aircraft. The aim of this project is to identify how work roles should be designed for crew operating multiple Unmanned Aircraft (UA). Industry expects that the introduction of higher levels of automation in next-generation UA systems will reduce the operational costs associated with UA by enabling human crews to simultaneously manage multiple aircraft. The current project examines the safety and effectiveness of different types of work d ....Designing work roles for crew operating multiple unmanned aircraft. The aim of this project is to identify how work roles should be designed for crew operating multiple Unmanned Aircraft (UA). Industry expects that the introduction of higher levels of automation in next-generation UA systems will reduce the operational costs associated with UA by enabling human crews to simultaneously manage multiple aircraft. The current project examines the safety and effectiveness of different types of work designs for these systems. The primary outcome will be a set of recommendations regarding the design of work roles for the crew of next-generation UA systems. Expected benefits include improvements in safety and cost-effectiveness of next-generation UA systems.Read moreRead less
How, What and Who in Human Communication: Movement of Face and Voice. The aim of this project is to identify the essential characteristics of tone, affect, and identity from face and voice using a combination of signal processing, biological, and behavioural techniques in order to develop a comprehensive model of auditory-visual speech processing and communication. This research will significantly improve understanding of the basis of auditory-visual perception and production in tonal languages ....How, What and Who in Human Communication: Movement of Face and Voice. The aim of this project is to identify the essential characteristics of tone, affect, and identity from face and voice using a combination of signal processing, biological, and behavioural techniques in order to develop a comprehensive model of auditory-visual speech processing and communication. This research will significantly improve understanding of the basis of auditory-visual perception and production in tonal languages and in affective communication, facilitate links between neurophysiological processes and auditory-visual speech processing; and contribute to applications in automatic person recognition, automatic speech recognition, text-to-speech systems, and talking head aids for the hearing impaired.Read moreRead less
Implicit transmission of embodied culture. Is a culturally diverse, yet socially integrated community possible? In multicultural societies such as Australia, this is a pressing and significant question. To form and maintain a vibrant and prosperous community in the face of globalization, it is essential to understand the fundamental processes by which cultures are formed and transformed in everyday social activities. This project examines one such process, implicit cultural transmission, propose ....Implicit transmission of embodied culture. Is a culturally diverse, yet socially integrated community possible? In multicultural societies such as Australia, this is a pressing and significant question. To form and maintain a vibrant and prosperous community in the face of globalization, it is essential to understand the fundamental processes by which cultures are formed and transformed in everyday social activities. This project examines one such process, implicit cultural transmission, proposed to function in the nonconscious transmission of cultural information. Understanding the dynamics of this subtle, yet pervasive, mode of cultural influence is central to a full appreciation of how one's own culture and those of others' integrate and flourish.Read moreRead less