SBIR Phase I: Haptic Glove for Real-Time Speech Comprehension

这项小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的广泛影响和商业潜力为聋哑人和听力障碍人群提供了新的工具。世界上有超过4.66亿人患有听力损失。该项目将推进一项技术，将环境中的语音和其他声音转换为可以通过触觉理解的信息。它有可能作为唇读等现有技术的补充，并作为一种非侵入性的、更便宜的替代人工耳蜗手术等干预手段。此外，本文进行的研究将为未来利用触摸通信的设备奠定基础，例如将数字输入转换为触摸信息的可穿戴设备。这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目旨在开发一种将听觉语音转换为可以通过皮肤感知的信息的方法。主要研究目标包括：1)开发一种基于触摸的语言，可以直观地表示单词，类似于盲文；2)开发一种电脑手套，将听觉输入转换为基于触摸的编码语言，并将其传输到皮肤上。本项目将开发一个数学公式，以促进听觉信息有效地转化为基于触摸的信号，并开展旨在最大限度地提高通过触摸感知的听觉信号的可判别性的研究。这将用于指导手套开发中电极的放置，以便向皮肤发送信号。预期的结果是能够将语音转换为触摸的基本原型的发展。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project provides new tools to the deaf and hard-of-hearing populations. Over 466 million people in the world with have hearing loss. This project will advance a technology to convert speech and other sounds in the environment to information that can be comprehended through the sense of touch. It has the potential to supplement existing techniques such as lip-reading and serve as a non-invasive, cheaper alternative to interventions like cochlear implant surgery. Moreover, the research conducted herein will lay the groundwork for future devices leveraging touch-based communication, such as a wearable that converts digital input to touch-based information. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to develop a way of converting auditory speech to information that can be perceived through the skin. The key research objectives include 1) the development of a touch-based language that intuitively represents words, similar to Braille; and 2) the development of a computerized glove that converts auditory input to the coded touch-based language and transmits it to the skin. This project will develop a mathematical formula to facilitate the efficient translation of auditory information into touch-based signals, and conduct research aimed at maximizing the discriminability of auditory signals perceived via touch. This will be used to guide electrode placement in glove development for sending signals to the skin. The anticipated results are the development of a basic prototype capable of converting speech to touch.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.