Faculty & Staff J. Robert Boston

Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Professor, Department of Bioengineering
Professor, Department of Communications Science and Disorders

412-624-3244
Fax: 412-624-8003
Office: BENDM 338

Education

Ph.D. (Electrical Engineering/Bioengineering), Northwestern University, 1971

Courses Taught

EE 0031 Linear Circuits and Systems 1
EE 1552 Signals and Systems Analysis
EE 1563 Digital Signal Processing
EE/BIOENG 1580/2580 Biomedical Applications of Signal Processing
EE 2636 Fuzzy Logic and Intelligent Control

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Professional Interests

Dr. Boston's interests include signal processing, fuzzy signal detection, and intelligent control. He teaches courses in signals and systems, digital signal processing, biomedical applications of signal processing, and fuzzy control. His current research projects include the development of image analysis techniques for the study of biomechanics of motion in patients with lower back pain (in collaboration with Thomas Rudy, Ph.D., of the Pain Evaluation and Treatment Institute, University of Pittsburgh), modeling active hair cell processes in the cochlea, and development of control systems for artificial organs.

Selected Publications

Tantibundhit C, Boston JR, Li CC, Durrant JD, Shaiman S, Kovacyk K, El-Jaroudi A. New Signal Decomposition Method Based Speech Enhancement. Signal Processing, Signal Processing Journal, Volume 87, Number 11, pp. 2607-2628, November 2007.

Yoo SD, Boston JR, El-Jaroudi A, Li CC, Durrant JD, Kovacyk K, Shaiman S. Speech Signal Modification to Increase Intelligibility in Noisy Environments, J Acoust Soc Am., vol. 222 (2), pp. 1138-1149, August, 2007.

Slaboda J.C., Boston J.R., Rudy T.E., Lieber S.J. and Ratsetshwane D.M.,"The use of splines to calculate jerk for a lifting task involving chronic lower back pain patients," IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering, vol. 13, no.3, pp.406-414, Sept. 2005.

Choi Seongjin, Boston JR, Antaki James F. An Investigation of the Pump Operating Characteristics as a Novel Control Index for LVAD Control, International Journal of Control, Automation, and Systems, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 100-108, March 2005.

Rudy, TE, Boston JR, Lieber SJ, Kubinski JA, Stacey BR. Body motion during repetitive isodynamic lifting: a comparative study of normal subjects and low-back pain patients. Pain 105: 319-326, 2003.

Leader JK, Boston JR, Rudy TE, Greco CM, and Zaki HS. Relation of jaw sounds and kinematics visualized and quantified using 3-D computer animation. Medical Engineering and Physics, 2003, 25(3):191-200.

Baloa LA, Boston JR, Simaan MA, Antaki JF. Performance of an extended certainty-weighted detection system, IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics 33 (1): 12:23, 2003.

Boston JR, Simaan MA, Antaki JF. Hierarchical Control for Heart-Assist Devices, IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine, Vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 54-64 (March, 2003).

Leader JK, Boston JR, Debski, RE, and Rudy TE. Mandibular kinematics represented by a non-orthogonal floating axis joint coordinate system. Journal of Biomechanics, 2003;36(2):275-281.

Neatpisarnvanit, C, Boston JR. Estimation of Plasma Insulin from Plasma Glucose, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, vol. 49, No. 11, pp. 1253-1259 (November, 2002).

Lieber SJ, Boston JR, Rudy TE, Munin, MC. The Influence of Weight and Starting Height on Lifting Mechanics in Lower Extremity Amputees, IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering, vol 10, pp. 109-117 (June, 2002).

Yoo S, Boston JR, Rudy TE, Greco CM, Leader JK. Time-Frequency Analysis of Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Clicking Sounds using Radial Gaussian Kernels, IEEE Trans Biomed Engr, Vol 48, no. 8, pp. 936-939 (August, 2001).

Yu, Y.-C., Boston JR, Simaan MA, Antaki JF, "Minimally Invasive Estimation of Systemic Vascular Parameters," Annals of Biomedical Engineering, Vol 29, no. 7, pp. 595-606 (July, 2001).

Choi S, Antaki JF, Boston JR, and Thomas D. A Sensorless Approach to Control of a Turbodynamic Left Ventricular Assist System, IEEE Trans Control Systems Technology, vol 9, no. 3 (May), pp 473-482 (2001).

Boston JR, A Signal Detection System Based on Dempster-Shafer Theory and Comparison to Fuzzy Detection, IEEE Trans. Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, vol. 30, pp. 45-51 (February, 2000).

Research Interests

Active Processes in the Cochlea

The role that outer hair cells in the cochlea play in speech processing is not known, but they have been suggested to be involved in auditory nerve tuning, two-tone suppression and the processing of noisy speech. Recent research showing that outer hair cells produce sounds in response to auditory stimulation suggests that they mediate an active process, controlled by the central nervous system. We are using mathematical models to investigate the properties this process might have and whether features derived from this process can improve the recognition of speech in noise. The features can be used as inputs to automated speech recognition systems. Since they can be expressed in the time domain, the features can be amplified and combined with the original speech sounds to improve speech perception by human listeners in noisy environments. This technology can also be applied to hearing aids to improve their performance in noisy environments.