AVATAR: Audiological virtual acoustic technologies for fitting rooms

Hearing care professionals face the challenge of determining the best possible fitting for their clients' hearing impairment in a highly artificial environment (typically, for example, in a sound-proofed measurement booth in their own branch). Since this is mostly done by means of highly simplified and schematic tests, a reliable statement can be made about certain diagnostic parameters, but very little can be concluded about how satisfied clients will be with the devices in their own daily lives. Often, this dissatisfaction on the part of the clients results in them foregoing the use of their hearing aids in everyday life despite a hearing loss that actually requires care. With the product developed within the project AVATAR ("Audiological Virtual Acoustic Technologies for Fitting Rooms") we want to contribute to the solution of this problem.

The aim of the project is to develop a system that allows potential hearing aid customers to experience representative, realistic acoustic scenes with visual support directly in the hearing aid store. The basis for this is the scientific methods developed at HörTech gGmbH. On the basis of these methods, a product is being developed that will enable hearing care professionals to make significantly more reliable statements about hearing aid use and the resulting customer satisfaction in everyday life.

September 2019 - February 2022