Project description
Virtual environments for improved hearing
Hearing impairment is common and can be partially rehabilitated by cochlear implants and hearing aids. Progress in virtual reality would permit an accurate simulation of daily life situations in virtual environments (VEs) in the clinic. It is hypothesised that the use of VEs renders the fitting process more efficient. The EU-funded VR-FIT project will investigate these hypotheses by designing VEs for hearing device fine-tuning with the collaboration of the University of Oldenburg and establishing the new fine-tuning procedure in close cooperation with clinicians and patients. The project introduces first-time VEs in the clinical setting. VR-FIT will also compare standard and new fine-tuning procedures between hearing aid and cochlear implant users.
Objective
Hearing impairment is a common disease with a large impact on social interaction and psychosocial well-being. Partial rehabilitation is possible by providing hearing devices. The settings of hearing aids and cochlear implants have to be adjusted to fit individual needs. This fitting process normally takes place in the relatively quiet clinic or acoustician’s store, whereas hearing devices are most needed in noisy and reverberant situations in daily life. This mismatch may lead to inefficiency and suboptimal settings. Mainly because the current fitting process is based on trial-and-error: adjustments made in the clinic have to be evaluated in daily life, after which further adjustment (fine-tuning) is needed. Recent advances in virtual reality would allow for an accurate simulation of daily life situations in virtual environments (VEs) in the clinic. Using such VEs, adjustments could be tested immediately. It is hypothesized that using VEs makes the fitting process more efficient, allows for better counselling of the patient, and will lead to better final settings and a higher patient satisfaction. The proposed project aims to investigate these hypotheses. The work plan of the proposed project entails designing VEs for hearing device fine-tuning (thanks to the collaboration with University of Oldenburg, previously developed VEs can be used as a basis) and establishing the new fine-tuning procedure, in close collaboration with clinicians and patients to maximize the usability. Furthermore, an experiment is planned that compares the standard and new fine-tuning procedures between groups of hearing aid users and cochlear implant users. The project is unique by introducing VEs in a clinical setting to improve the outcome of the hearing rehabilitation process. It is also one of the few studies of the fitting process in both hearing-aid users and cochlear implant users, which is possible thanks to the unique patient population in the host institution, Erasmus MC.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences computer and information sciences software software applications virtual reality
- medical and health sciences medical biotechnology implants
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2020
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
3015 GD Rotterdam
Netherlands
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.