Mind-reading hearing aid tested on humans for the first time
Scientists at Columbia University have developed a system capable of determining in real time which speaker a person is focusing on and amplifying only that voice. The study was published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, Qazinform News Agency reports.
he technology is based on the analysis of brain signals. During the experiment, participants listened to several conversations simultaneously in a noisy environment, while the system used neural signals to determine which speaker the listener was trying to focus on. The device then automatically amplified the target voice and suppressed background speech.
“Current hearing aids often fail because they cannot infer the listener’s intent. As a result, they amplify all sounds indiscriminately,” the authors noted.
The trials involved patients undergoing neurosurgical monitoring. The system used high-resolution intracranial electrodes to record brain activity. During testing, the technology not only improved speech intelligibility but also reduced listening effort. Most participants reported that the version with the activated system felt more comfortable.
Researchers also tested how the system responds to shifts in attention. The device was able to track both instructed switches to another speaker and natural, spontaneous changes in attention during conversation.
“This work moves brain-controlled hearing from theoretical promise to validated technology,” the paper says.
According to the authors, the technology could become an important step toward the development of “smart” hearing aids capable of adapting to a user’s intentions in real time.
Earlier, it was reported that an experimental anti-clotting drug called asundexian reduced the risk of recurrent stroke without increasing bleeding in a large international clinical study involving more than 12,000 patients.
