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Brain-inspired tech could transform hearing in noisy places

ByHearology Publishing | Date: Mon Jun 16 2025

Animated image of a brain sending signals to the ear

A new algorithm has outperformed traditional hearing aid filters in lab tests

Navigating noisy environments like restaurants or parties remains one of the biggest challenges for people with hearing loss. Known as the "cocktail party problem", it refers in particular to the difficulty of focusing on a single voice among many. Standard hearing aids often use directional filters to address this, but their effectiveness is limited when multiple people speak at once or from similar distances.

Now researchers have developed a new approach called the Biologically Oriented Sound Segregation Algorithm, or BOSSA. The algorithm mimics how the brain processes sound by using binaural input – sound from both ears – to locate where different voices are coming from and isolate the one that the user is trying to focus on. Unlike traditional filters, BOSSA works spatially, not just directionally.


A sharper spotlight on speech

In a Boston University study led by Alexander Boyd, a biomedical engineering doctoral student, people with hearing loss tested BOSSA in simulated multi-speaker environments. They could make out words from a chosen speaker at lower volumes compared with using regular hearing aid settings. 

Boyd says traditional systems are like shining a wide-beam torch, while BOSSA offers a focused spotlight that allows for clearer separation of voices.

BOSSA is not perfect. It doesn’t yet shift focus dynamically: if the user’s attention moves from one voice to another, the system can't follow. And because the trials were conducted in a lab setting, with limited acoustic variation, its effectiveness in real-life environments is still uncertain. 


A simpler, promising path

Yet BOSSA is appealing because it is less complex than other emerging solutions like deep neural networks. These often require heavy computing power and vast data sets. BOSSA’s approach is lighter and more transparent in how it processes sound, which could make it easier to integrate into affordable hearing aids in the future.

Meanwhile, other biologically inspired systems are in development. The Physiologically Inspired Algorithm, for example, models how the auditory system naturally monitors and isolates sounds, while multi-modal enhancement tools now combine audio and visual cues to improve clarity. These options reflect a growing push towards real-world solutions for complex listening challenges.

Researchers agree that despite BOSSA’s potential, more testing is needed. Future versions could allow users to direct the algorithm to focus on a particular person or area, bringing it closer to true, real-time selective listening. The ultimate goal remains unchanged, which is to help people hear better in the places they need it most.

Experts say, however, that there is no need to wait for future developments to take action about deafness or other hearing issues now. “Too many people delay taking action on their hearing concerns, but early intervention can make a real difference,” said Kenny Hau, a Clinical Audiologist at Hearology®. “Innovations like BOSSA are exciting, and will one day be available to everyone, but in the meantime the biggest issue remains, which is that not enough people with hearing loss are taking that all-important first step to recognise the problem and seek help. Timely action opens the door to much better long-term outcomes.”


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