Synthesized Visual Aids Could Support Listening in Noise Comprehension

face significantly improves speech comprehension compared to when only acoustical signals are present,” wrote the study authors. “The benefit was greatest when listening in low SNRs, with performance in the synthetic face condition falling approximately halfway between the audio-only and natural AV conditions.” Results from the Trends in Hearing study support the hy-pothesis that a DNN-based model utilized a talking face can meaningfully enhance listening comprehension in noisy set-tings and could potentially become a visual hearing aid. “This study demonstrates that in the absence of a natural visual stimulus, speech comprehension can be enhanced by a synthesized, realistic talking face that is generated purely from the acoustical signal using a DNN-based model,” concluded the authors.