SBIR Phase I: Haptic Glove for Real-Time Speech Comprehension

SBIR 第一阶段：用于实时语音理解的触觉手套

• 批准号: 2112296
• 负责人: Sriraman Damodaran
• 金额: $ 25.6万
• 依托单位: SUBTLE TECHNOLOGY LLC
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-05-15 至 2022-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2112296&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Haptic; Glove; Real

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project provides new tools to the deaf and hard-of-hearing populations. Over 466 million people in the world with have hearing loss. This project will advance a technology to convert speech and other sounds in the environment to information that can be comprehended through the sense of touch. It has the potential to supplement existing techniques such as lip-reading and serve as a non-invasive, cheaper alternative to interventions like cochlear implant surgery. Moreover, the research conducted herein will lay the groundwork for future devices leveraging touch-based communication, such as a wearable that converts digital input to touch-based information. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to develop a way of converting auditory speech to information that can be perceived through the skin. The key research objectives include 1) the development of a touch-based language that intuitively represents words, similar to Braille; and 2) the development of a computerized glove that converts auditory input to the coded touch-based language and transmits it to the skin. This project will develop a mathematical formula to facilitate the efficient translation of auditory information into touch-based signals, and conduct research aimed at maximizing the discriminability of auditory signals perceived via touch. This will be used to guide electrode placement in glove development for sending signals to the skin. The anticipated results are the development of a basic prototype capable of converting speech to touch.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该小企业创新研究 (SBIR) 第一阶段项目具有更广泛的影响/商业潜力，为失聪和听力障碍人群提供了新工具。 全球有超过 4.66 亿人患有听力损失。该项目将推进一项技术，将环境中的语音和其他声音转换为可以通过触觉理解的信息。它有可能补充唇读等现有技术，并作为人工耳蜗植入手术等干预措施的非侵入性、更便宜的替代方案。 此外，本文进行的研究将为未来利用基于触摸的通信的设备奠定基础，例如将数字输入转换为基于触摸的信息的可穿戴设备。这个小型企业创新研究 (SBIR) 第一阶段项目旨在开发一种将听觉语音转换为可通过皮肤感知的信息的方法。主要研究目标包括1）开发一种基于触摸的语言，直观地表示单词，类似于盲文； 2）开发计算机化手套，将听觉输入转换为基于触摸的编码语言并将其传输到皮肤。该项目将开发一个数学公式，以促进听觉信息有效转化为基于触摸的信号，并进行旨在最大限度地提高通过触摸感知的听觉信号的可辨别性的研究。这将用于指导手套开发中的电极放置，以向皮肤发送信号。预期的结果是开发出能够将语音转换为触摸的基本原型。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。