Communications of the ACM
Tech Gives Sound Directionality to Hearing Aids
While users in this study reported a notable difference in their ability to hear and determine the direction of those sounds, unfortunately many of them said they would still be hesitant to use the device.
Credit: iStock
Researchers at Taiwan's National Cheng Kung University have developed a hearing aid system with sound directionality.
The device features a dual-layer microphone array for the user's ears, and a wearable device worn around the neck comprised of a camera with computer vision AI.
An algorithm helps predict a sound's origin, either by identifying faces in the scene or based on the angle and time of arrival.
The device achieved an accuracy rate of 94% or higher in identifying a sound's source at distances of 160 cm (a little more than five feet) or less, and more than 90% for sounds detected by the microphones but out of range of the wearable device.
From IEEE Spectrum
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