Abstract
We developed a hearing assistance system that enables hearing-impaired people to track the horizontal movement of a single sound source. The movement of the sound source is presented to the subject by vibrating vibrators on both shoulders according to the distance to and direction of the sound source, which are estimated from the acoustic signals detected by microphones attached to both ears. We presented the direction of and distance to the sound source to the subject by changing the ratio of the intensity of the two vibrators according to the direction and by increasing the intensity the closer the person got to the sound source. The subject could recognize the approaching sound source as a change in the vibration intensity by turning their face in the direction where the intensity of both vibrators was equal. The direction of the moving sound source can be tracked with an accuracy of less than 5° when an analog vibration pattern is added to indicate the direction of the sound source. By presenting the direction of the sound source with high accuracy, it is possible to show subjects the approach and departure of a sound source.
Highlights
Omnidirectional Haptic Guidance forWe use our five senses to grasp our surroundings, and it is said that vision accounts for about 90% of the information we receive
The system presents the horizontal movement of the sound source to the person through the vibrators on both shoulders according to the distance to and direction of the sound source estimated from the acoustic signals detected by the ear microphones
The vibration intensity ratio of the left and right vibrators ble to convey information to the user about the direction of the sound source and indicates the direction of the sound source, and the vibration intensity itself indicates the distance to the source through vibration
Summary
We use our five senses to grasp our surroundings, and it is said that vision accounts for about 90% of the information we receive. It is thought that people use auditory information to compensate for information that cannot be confirmed visually because it is hidden to the side, behind, or in the shadows. When we cross a road at dusk or at night, when visibility is limited, and a stopped vehicle suddenly moves or turns at an intersection and suddenly comes into view, visual information alone is not enough to quickly detect it; auditory information is required. We often unconsciously turn our head in the direction of the sound of the vehicle. Due to the anxiety caused by auditory information alone, we may turn our face to reconfirm the sound source visually. On the other hand, hearing-impaired (deaf) people and young people who walk around with earphones listening to music at high volume may not be able to hear the sounds around them, which is assumed to increase the risk of experiencing traffic accidents
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