Source: Graeme Clark Foundation

Sources: NIH: Intramural Research Program and MIT Micromechanics Group (inset)

Hair Cell Killers

AminoglycosidesSources: Internet....

Cochlear Damage

Sources: PNAS.org (left) and K. Mizutani et al. (2013) (right)

Who cares?

17% of Americans have some degree of hearing loss, and 15% of U.S. adults experience hearing loss due to loud noise exposure, but only 1 in 5 of those who could benefit from wearing hearing aids use them.

- NIDCD Quick Stats

Deafness as a Disability"The problems of deafness are deeper and more complex, if not more important, than those of blindness. Deafness is a much worse misfortune. For it means the loss of the most vital stimulus — the sound of the voice that brings language, sets thoughts astir and keeps us in the intellectual company of man."

-Helen Keller (1910)

Normal

Mild-to-ModerateLoss

Moderate-to-Severe Loss

The Players

It's not stupid, it's advanced

What's available?

● All limited in function

● Some free of charge

● None open-sourced

The Exception...(?)

● App on iOS devices● Research from

University of Essex● MATLAB/C++● Free● Open-source

No updates in previous 7 months

http://bioaid.org.uk/

Why Other Attempts Fail

Hearing is about more than just thevolume and loudness of sound.

Source: l2pnet.com

What makes a 'good' hearing aid?

● Minimal Distortion

● Directionality

● Noise Canceling

● Fast Processing/Minimal Latency

● Customization

What Skills Do We Need?

● Don't be an a-hole

Sure hope I think of something to put on this

slide before my presentation

Hacking The Problem You've Never Heard Of

Grant R. Vousden-Dishington@usethespacebar