HEAR Pods
Introduction[edit | edit source]
By 2050, nearly 2.5 billion people are projected to have some degree of hearing loss (WHO,[1] 2024). Yet less than 30% of individuals who are impaired have access to assistive hearing devices. This disparity is even greater in areas of life such as sports, where little is usually done to assist those in need. The focus of this project and research is to aid young hockey players at the George Bray Sports Association who often have difficulty discerning when a whistle stoppage occurs.
Design[edit | edit source]
The design utilizes two main components – a transmitter worn by a referee and a receiver worn by the player with hearing impairment.
The transmitter is capable of recognizing a whistle blow based on its loudness, frequency, and duration. Once it has done so, it sends a message to the receiver using a peer-to-peer wireless protocol capable of covering the entirety of the hockey arena.
Upon receiving the message, the receiver subsequently alerts the player that a stoppage has been issued via their hearing aid by playing an MP3 file.
Impact[edit | edit source]
The short-term effect of this research was to provide players at GBSA the opportunity to play the sport that they love in a safe, controlled, and inclusive way.
In terms of long-term impacts, this project is meant to be a stepping stone towards para-athletes achieving their full potential with the aid of modern technology!
Testing[edit | edit source]
Numerous tests were done over the course of the summer to ensure the design was as accurate and consistent as possible. The earlier tests comprised of sound pressure measurements of different whistle models using SpectraPlus software which provided an understanding of the various types and ranges of frequencies the analog-based microphone would have to recognize.
Tests of various signals were also conducted to gauge their effectiveness in transmitting data wirelessly. These signals included radio waves, Bluetooth, and telecoil-produced magnetic fields.
Conclusion[edit | edit source]
The final design for this project is a rechargeable, modular, and cost-effective device capable of communication with not only modern hearing aids via Bluetooth, but also older models using magnetic fields created using a telecoil neck loop.
