When computers learn to understand sound, they will not only enable a whole new range of  applications but they will fundamentally affect the way we interact with our acoustic environment. Some devices might give us access to far more specific and selective hearing experience and at the same time we might become much more aware of the sounds we produce and what they tell about us. Not Yet Heard presents six possible applications for Machine Listening investigating a range of cultural shifts that could emerge around it.

Not yet Heard is an ongoing project by Bernhard Hopfengärtner and Gunnar Green in  collaboration with Prof. Mark Plumbley from Queen Mary University, London. It is based on a research project about machine listening technology currently being done by Prof. Marc Plumbley.

Science Partners:
Prof. Mark Plumbley
Department of Electronic Engineering


Research Group: Centre for Digital Music, Queen Mary University, London.

Dr Andrew Nesbit and Dr Andrew Robertson, Queen Mary University, London

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IMPACT: Not Yet Heard

2009-10

Bernd Hopfengärtner, Gunnar Green

Partners — Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), NESTA
Up Up Down Down Public Health: Hypochondriac individuals make use of the "city's ear" to detect seemingly contaminated areas. Public Health: Hypochondriac individuals make use of the "city's ear" to detect seemingly contaminated areas. Instant Diagnosis: In order to lower treatment costs and prevent the disease from spreading, public machines diagnose the onset of disease by its sound. Surveying the sonic landscape: Enterprises systematically catalogue acoustic events. Based on these collections, sounds can be recognised and separated by a machine. Specific sounds can be emphasised or cancelled out in real time. Audio Dérive: Starting off as noise protection in increasingly populated environments, people seek pleasure by authoring their own sonic environment by cancelling out or enhancing specific sounds. Audio Dérive: Starting off as noise protection in increasingly populated environments, people seek pleasure by authoring their own sonic environment by cancelling out or enhancing specific sounds. Roaring Whisper: Whispering becomes a noisy act as redundant noise is needed to mask essential messages. Roaring Whisper: Whispering becomes a noisy act as redundant noise is needed to mask essential messages.