New hearing technology is being developed, to implement cameras into hearing aids; allowing for lip-reading capabilities!
Researchers from the University of Stirling, Scotland are developing a novel type of hearing aid, equipped with a camera and lip-reading software, according to a report from the BBC.
The new device aims to address the recurrent problem of hearing with assistive devices in a noisy environment. The team of researchers worked from the principle that a hearing aid able to switch between audio and visual cues would be beneficial in these environments and help reduce listening effort. The hearing aid’s camera could be mounted inside a pair of glasses, a necklace or even an earring.
”This exciting world-first project has the potential to significantly improve the lives of millions of people who have hearing difficulties,” says team leader Prof. Amir Hussain about this new type of hearing aid. “Existing commercial hearing aids are capable of working on an audio-only basis, but the next-generation audio-visual model we want to develop will intelligently track the target speaker’s face for visual cues, like lip-reading. These will further enhance the audio sounds that are picked up and amplified by conventional hearing aids.”
The multidisciplinary team from the university was awarded funding for their project from the UK government’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) that will cover the next three years. Partners in the project include a research group from the University of Sheffield, hearing aid manufacturer Phonak, and the Institute of Hearing Research.
http://www.audiology-worldnews.com/new-products2/1389-innovation-lip-reading-hearing-aids
-Sourced from BBC news.
