Development of Audiometric Localization Tests

This research will develop a system that will enable audiometric assessment of directionalhearing. Work in Phase I will address the technical feasibility of using a small-radius loudspeaker arrayfor testing localization ability. Specifically, efforts will be made to evaluate the use of a two-loudspeakerarray that is small enough to fit in a single-person audiometric booth, and that also gives test results thatare independent of the acoustic-reflective properties of the surrounding environment. Later work, to bedone in Phase II, will focus on the development of efficient test procedures and an operator interface.A small number of prototype systems will be assembled for the purpose of clinical evaluation and study.The study will be conducted to determine the association between performance on the localization testand other measures, both subjective and objective, of directional hearing and hearing aid benefit.