"Designing Futures from an Inaudible Past : Multimodal Augmentation of Hearing Assistive Technologies"

Sharath Chandra Ram (University of Texas at Dallas) will present "Designing Futures from an Inaudible Past: Multimodal Augmentation of Hearing Assistive Technologies."

Abstract: This presentation describes the socio-technical assemblage of machine listening technologies that have historically emerged from medical models of disability. Theoretical and practical design alternatives based on social models of disability are proposed, to augment hearing assistive technologies. Emerging technologies of machine listening are discussed within a research agenda that encompasses cultural studies of technology,  technology policy studies, human machine interaction and information interface design.

Sharath Chandra Ram is researcher working across human machine interaction in virtual environments, auditory cognition and sonic interaction design. He is interested in the creative possibilities and implications of pervasive AI technologies of human and machine listening. His PhD research at the University of Texas at Dallas (School of Arts, Technology and Emerging Communication), explores designing to augment listening technologies like Hearing Aids and Cochlear implants for tasks such as music perception, and environmental event detection. Prior to this, he specialized in AI and interactive virtual environments at the University of Edinburgh, School of Informatics. Previously as a Research Associate in the field of cognitive neuroscience, he studied (using fMRI and EEG) networks of multimodal and audio cognition in sound and language processing at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India.

For Zoom information, contact Bonnie Mak.