Project title: Voice transformations using differentiable signal processing

Description: CHALLENGE is a project to develop a novel therapy to aid people who suffer from auditory
hallucinations, specifically, hearing malevolent voices. The software includes a virtual reality simulation training program and voice modulation in
real time, which enables the patients to face their malevolent voices and lessen their control over the patient’s life.

The current voice transformation software uses standard phase vocoding techniques to manipulate the voice.
In this project we want to investigate whether novel approaches to voice transformations based on differentiable signal processing can improve the voice transformation synthesis.

AwarenessVR will work on developing spatial sound cues and researching how to create and integrate them in the tool, and investigate whether addition of auditory cues affects the perception of hearing malevolent voices.

Specifically we will focus on the following:

1) Development of a DSP framework for voice modification
2) Perceptual evaluation of whether the DSP framework improves the voice simulation compared to the exisiting framework.
3) Development of the spatial sound algorithm

Duration:

Start: 15 September 2022
End: 15 February 2023
Funding: 175.000 DKK

Scientific article as project completion: read here