#HTE

Reader Submitted: A Wearable Captioning Device for the Hearing Impaired

The Q system is a wearable captioning device that displays text and graphed emotions in addition to allowing people with hearing loss to feel the sounds that they are missing. The system is comprised of a band that is worn on the user’s hand, an array microphone clip that is worn on the user’s clothing, a charging unit, and an app that can be used with smart phones or tablets.

When a person is speaking to someone who is wearing Q, their voice is captured by the array microphone, transported to the band via Bluetooth, and translated into text using voice recognition software. The text appears on an OLED screen embedded in the palm of the band. If the person wearing Q chooses, they can activate 4 features using finger commands: (1) Transcript Recording, which allows the user to begin recording a transcript of a conversation, (2) Emoticaptioning, which displays the speaker’s volume, frequency, and duration of sound in one fluid graph, (3) Touch Speech, which uses combinations of four pressure points to represent sounds that a person with hearing loss might be missing, and (4) Bookmarking, which allows the user to mark a moment in the conversation for future reference. Transcripts, bookmarks, and a calendar can be accessed through the accompanying app.

Q Allows Users to:

• Saves money—no more hiring interpreters and paying them hourly

• Gives user more independence (not having to schedule interpreters 24 hours in advance/not being followed around by interpreters)

• Allows users to understand a more complete conversation with added emotion.

• Allows users to have more eye contact when they use the Touch Speech feature.