Twenty percent of Americans will be 65 years or older by 2030 out of which 35 - 50% will report having an age-related hearing impairment that is treated primarily with hearing aids. Regular use of hearing aids has been shown to improve communication and avoid the harmful effects of hearing loss, which include an increased risk of social isolation and depression. Past research has shown that many people do not wear their hearing aids regularly, as they are unsatisfied with their performance in the real world. A fundamental limitation of existing methods for tuning hearing aids is that they are not tailored to individual needs, which often leads to unsatisfactory performance. We are developing new methods for tuning hearing aids that are based on the unique needs of a patient. Additionally, we are developing signal processing algorithms that take advance of the edge and cloud service to improve their operation.

An overview of our work on context-sensitive assessment of hearing aids is included below: