Transforming hearing aids into multipurpose devices with artificial intelligence

Dr. Achin Bhowmik will talk about transforming hearing aids into multisensory perceptual augmentation and health monitoring devices with artificial intelligence.

Abstract: with half a billion people suffering from disabling hearing loss globally according to the World Health Organization, and the number expected to double by 2050, hearing aids are crucially important medical wearable devices. Untreated hearing loss has been linked to increased risks of social isolation, depression, dementia, fall injuries, and other health issues. In this talk, we will present a new class of in-ear devices with embedded sensors and artificial intelligence, which are shaped to fit an individual with 3D-imaging of the ear geometry. In addition to providing frequency-dependent amplification of sound to compensate for the hearing loss, these devices incorporate real-time classification and processing of sound with machine learning techniques, serve as a continuous monitor for important physiological parameters, automatic fall detection, and alert system, as well as a personal assistant with connectivity to the cloud. Furthermore, Bluetooth-paired with a vision aid, these devices present exciting possibilities for multisensory perceptual augmentation of hearing, balance, vision, and memory, helping people live better and more productive lives.

Speaker Bio:
Dr. Achin Bhowmik is the chief technology officer and executive vice president of engineering at Starkey Hearing Technologies, a privately-held medical devices business with over 5,000 employees and operations in over 100 countries worldwide. In this role, he is responsible for the company’s technology strategy, global research, product development, and engineering departments, and leading the drive to transform hearing aids into multifunction wearable health and communication devices with advanced sensors and artificial intelligence technologies.
Prior to joining Starkey, Dr. Bhowmik was vice president and general manager of the Perceptual Computing Group at Intel Corporation. There, he was responsible for the R&D, engineering, operations, and businesses in the areas of 3D sensing and interactive computing, computer vision and artificial intelligence, autonomous robots and drones, and immersive virtual and merged reality devices. Previously, he served as the chief of staff of the Personal Computing Group, Intel’s largest business unit with >$30B annual revenues in 2010.
Dr. Bhowmik is an adjunct professor at Stanford University, where he advises research and lectures in the areas of multisensory cognition, perceptual augmentation, and intelligent systems. He has also held adjunct and guest professor positions at the University of California, Berkeley, Liquid Crystal Institute of the Kent State University, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, and the Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar. He has authored over 200 publications, including two books and 38 issued patents.
Dr. Bhowmik serves on the board of trustees for the National Captioning Institute, the board of directors for OpenCV, the executive board for the Society for Information Display (SID) as the president-elect, and board of advisors for the Fung Institute for Engineering Leadership at UC Berkeley. He is on the board of directors and advisors for several technology startup companies. His awards and honors include TIME’s Best Inventions, Artificial Intelligence Breakthrough Award, Red Dot Design Award, Industrial Distinguished Leader award from the Asia-Pacific Signal and Information Processing Association, and the Fellow of SID.
Dr. Bhowmik and his work have been covered in numerous press articles, including TIME, Fortune, Wired, USA Today, US News & World Reports, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Businessweek, CBS News, Forbes, Scientific American, Popular Mechanics, MIT Technology Review, SlashGear, Tom’s Hardware, Business Insider, EE Times, CNET, Computerworld, Gizmodo, The Verge, Digital Trends, etc.