Dr. Robert Gilkey:
Tel: (937) 775-3337
Office: 335 Fawcett Hall
E-Mail: robert.gilkey@wright.edu
Dr. Robert Gilkey
Bio
Dr. Gilkey is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology. He teaches numerous undergraduate courses in research methods, perception, and other human factors topics, as well as graduate level courses in the Human Factors Psychology program.
Research Interests
The goal of Dr. Gilkey's research is to specify the mechanisms underlying sound localization and masking. Understanding sound localization is an important step in the development of efficient 3-dimensional auditory displays and compelling virtual environments. The study of masking has important implications for basic auditory theory, for the specification and optimization of human performance in noisy environments, and for the problems of individuals with impaired hearing. These research projects include both free-field and headphone-based experiments on localization and masking, and modeling efforts examining neural networks and traditional signal processing models of audition.
Dr. Gilkey's research is conducted in the Signal Detection Laboratory at Wright State and in the Auditory Localization Facility of the Armstrong Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The Signal Detection Laboratory contains four sound-isolated booths for subject testing. Experiments are controlled by two personal computers with specialized audio hardware capable of generating 8 channels of CD-quality sound. A well equipped audio rack includes instrumentation necessary for stimulus control and measurement. Four high-end workstations with 14 gigabytes of disk storage, and two Xterminals, are used for data analysis, graphics, and modeling. The Auditory Localization Facility at the Armstrong Laboratory consists of a 14-foot geodesic sphere with 277 high fidelity speakers, housed in an 8,000 cu. ft. anechoic chamber. Special switching hardware allows from 1 to 15 individual sounds to be presented from arbitrary spatial locations. Extensive instrumentation is available for experiment control and stimulus measurement.
For more information, click here to visit Dr. Gilkey's personal webpage.
