SoundWatch (the smartwatch for deafs)

2020: Exit of hours

At the end of October, 2020 the University of Washington provided watch of SoundWatch which traces important sounds in an environment of deaf users, such as fire alarm or sound signal of the microwave oven. Having recognized a sound, hours inform the user using easy vibration.

"This technology gives to deaf people the chance "hear" the sounds demanding from them a certain action. Besides, these devices help deafs to be integrated better into the world around and to derive from it more pleasure, - the researcher Dkhruv Dzhayn (Dhruv Jain) who also badly hears considers. - I used a prototype of hours that "hear" chatter of birds and sounds of falls during walk. Thanks to it I really feeling outdoors".

The smartwatch transmitting the deaf important sounds around is released

During development researchers used machine learning for creation of the database of the general sounds, including knock at a door and bark of a dog. The smartwatch sends sound recording to the user's smartphone where it is analyzed and identified. If the sound is defined as important, phone sends the message for hours that they could warn the user.

Watch of SoundWatch differs in more long battery life and higher computing power in comparison with other smartwatch. Researchers tested a new system on eight deaf or hearing-impaired volunteers who used the smartwatch in different conditions. According to them, a system helped them to be guided with space, but still incorrectly classifies some sounds, and in other cases works too slowly.

By the end of October, 2020 authors of the project already attracted investments and are going to put a product into a commercial turnover.^[1]

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