Smart Phones To Improve Hearing
Our ears are battling loud sounds every day, especially if you live in a big city. The sounds of traffic, blaring music, etc. all affect your hearing abilities. While in the past work noise was considered to be the number one cause of hearing loss, this might no longer be the case. Hearing loss is on the rise and there is evidence to suggest that 38% of individuals in the world are affected but few get help as the others may not even be aware of their impairment.
The good news is that your smart phones might be put to better use. They can help improve hearing. The new ACEHearing technology has the capabilities to transform everyday consumer electronics into hearing-enhancement devices. The first application of the technology will be on smart phones, either as a downloadable app or firmware that will be installed in phones before purchase.
How does the new smart phone hearing technology work?
- Users will be able to do a hearing assessment (in a quiet room) by performing a hearing test that takes about five minutes.
- The device will capture and assess the individual’s hearing profile.
- It will then calibrate the smartphone to adjust and enhance its sound output by filling in gaps in the part of the sound spectrum where hearing is less than ideal.
According to Prof. Van Hasselt, one of the principal developers of ACEHearing, this smart phone technology will help people with a small to severe hearing loss. It is not meant to replace hearing aids; however, it could eliminate the need to wear a hearing device while on the phone, thus eradicating annoying and sometimes painful telephone signal interference.
