Scottish scientists have set out to create the world’s first hearing aid that can read lips. This hearing aid is designed to work by using a tiny camera to identify the patterns of a speaker’s lip movements. The latest cutting edge software will then be used to translate the patterns into speech and played in the wearer’s ear instantaneously. The camera can be hidden discreetly in the earpiece itself or even in a pair of glasses or an item of jewellery. The camera will send the words directly to the earpiece using wireless technology and will switch between lip-reading and hearing modes depending on the acoustic environment.
Professor Amir Hussain from the University of Stirlingshire is leading the project, which is supported by Sheffield University, the Scottish section of the MRC Institute of Hearing Research at Glasgow Royal Infirmary and a number of manufacturers.
“Professor Hussain says that “Deafness touches a huge number of people in the UK and abroad, either because people have a hearing loss themselves or live or work with someone who does. “Our goal is to develop the world’s first hearing aid that can lip read. It has the potential to make a massive difference to people’s lives.”
Researchers, inventors and deaf campaigners are hoping that their gadget will improve the lives of many with Delia Henry, from the charity Action on Hearing Loss, saying that the project would be a breakthrough in hearing aid technology. Inventors also believe that the aid could be used in noisy environments, such as factories and schools.
At this stage the basic design of the piece has been established however there are a number of hurdles still to be tackles before the completion of a successful prototype. The team have anticipated some difficulties with certain aspects of the project such as designing a system to process lip movement into speech in real-time. The public have also been invited to contribute to the initiative in the projects early stages via the project’s website.