Tweaked sound system benefits those with hearing loss
A NEWLY developed loudspeaker system allows people with hearing problems to listen to the TV at full capacity without compromising the experience for other viewers.
The system creates a sound “hot spot” in the area of the room where the person who’s hard of hearing is sitting, leaving the sound the same elsewhere.
Researcher Marcos Simon from Southampton University’s Institute of Sound and Vibration Research in the UK developed the highly directional system of acoustical radiators, also known as loudspeaker arrays.
“It’s estimated that disputes over TV volume affect one in 10 households, and these are often caused by some family members having age-related hearing loss,” he says. “Because only about 20% of such people wear hearing aids, the only way to resolve this problem is to improve the level of sound for them without annoying other viewers in the household with normal hearing who don’t want to be subjected to a loud volume.”
His design can compensate for hearing losses of about 15 dB at 3 kHz, normally experienced by persons aged 70.
System tests have shown that it can improve speech intelligibility by as much as 30%. What’s more, the system is cost-effective, according to Simon.
The paper, which won Simon the 2013 Institute of Acoustics (IOA) Young Person’s Award for Innovation in Acoustical Engineering, was published in the journal EICE Transactions on Fundamentals of Electronics Communications and Computer Sciences.
Simon did not speak of plans to commercialise his project, but those seeking to improve the quality of their TV watching due to hearing loss do have other options, including the app LouderTV.
Source: The Sun Daily
Published: 21 Nov 2014
Category: Features, Technology & Devices
