Researchers have developed a retainer that works with tactile receptors on the tongue to help the hearing impaired recognize certain words.
A new device brings a totally different meaning to the catch phrase, “The words were on the tip of my tongue.” Researchers at Colorado State University have developed a retainer that works with tactile receptors on the tongue to help the hearing impaired recognize certain words.
The device consists of a Bluetooth-enabled microphone earpiece along with a smart retainer that fits on a person’s tongue. The two devices work in tandem to strengthen a partially deaf person's ability to recognize words. How? The earpiece’s microphone takes in sounds and words which are converted into distinct, complex waveforms that represent individual words. The waveforms are then sent via Bluetooth to the retainer, where they are specially designed to stimulate the tongue.
The development team likens the process to Braille, through which a blind person can “read” by recognizing words through a pattern of bumps. The tongue is similar to fingertips in that it has a hypersensitive ability to discern between tactile sensations. According to the report in Popular Science, the retainer helps to strengthen the brain’s ability to recognize certain words. For example, every time the microphone hears the word “ball,” the retainer excites the same pattern of nerves on the tongue. Over time, the brain learns to associate that specific tongue sensation with the word “ball," making it easier to recognize the word in the future.
“Some people suggest it feels like the sensation of having champagne bubbles or Pop Rocks on their tongue,” says mechanical engineer and co-developer John Williams. While promising, the prototype retainer needs to be refined before it can be widely applied to help the hearing impaired. To read more, click here.