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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/S69269/01
Title: Design & fabrication of a high dynamic range log-domain Bionic Ear
Principal Investigator: Drakakis, Professor EM
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Bioengineering
Organisation: Imperial College London
Scheme: First Grant Scheme Pre-FEC
Starts: 01 September 2004 Ends: 30 November 2007 Value (£): 111,588
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Bioelectronic Devices Biomaterials
VLSI Design
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Electronics Healthcare
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
This project adresses the issue of design and implementation of a new analog VLSI cochlear signal processor (bionic ear). The project aims at developing a blueprint for the system-level design of a silicon-implementable bionic ear of increased biological fidelity. Technical and biomimicry-related design trade-off for variations of biomimetic cochlear architectures are identified and studied. Our bio-inspired design exploits the novel log-domain circuit design technique which is characterised by the construction of internally non-linear though externally linear, high dynamic range frequency shaping networks. Weakly-inverted MOSFETs operating in the micropower regime and offering the necessary for log-domain design exponential V-I characteristic are used. The outcome of our research is of interest and benefit to:a. the UK microelectronics and healthcare industry since it has the potential of shaping the technical future and reducing the cost of cochlear implants b. the automatic speech recognition research community since our bionic ear can act as a speech (pre)processor of increased biomimetic fidelity.
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Organisation Website: http://www.imperial.ac.uk