Human Research and Engineering Directorate Research Areas

Combat Listening Skills Development

Advisor: Letowski, Tomasz R (tom.letowski@us.army.mil  410.278.5864)
Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD

Keywords: Signal detection; Acoustic signature recognition; Auditory memory;

Human ability to detect and recognize sound sources, especially under adverse listening conditions such as noise and reverberation, varies greatly among individuals and depends on the physiological profile, experience, and listening skills of a listener. Familiarity with the acoustic environment and ability to focus on specific features of sonic events facilitate detection, recognition, and localization of the potential threats and visually hidden objects (e.g., a waterfall). In addition, natural human ability may be enhanced by specialized listening devices (acoustic telescopes) or decreased by various protective measures such as gas masks and hearing protectors. In the latter case, it is frequently desirable to restore natural hearing capabilities of a person being acoustically protected. Our research focuses on three related areas of hearing enhancement: (1) development of training methodologies for enhancing listening skills for specific signals and environments, (2) development and evaluation of specialized listening devices and sensory aids, and (3) development and evaluation of acoustically transparent headgear.

References:
Letowski, T. and Amrein, K. (2005). The effects of auditory training on the listener’s ability to detect and recognize sounds in noise. Proceedings of the 12th International Congress on Sound and Vibration. Lisbon (Portugal): July 11-14.