DEVELOPMENT OF A VEHICULAR INDUCTION ASSISTIVE LISTENING SYSTEM FOR HEARING DISABLED INDIVIDUALS

THE ACOUSTIC ENVIRONMENTS IN VEHICLES TEND TO BE HOSTILE TO SPOKEN COMMUNICATION, REGARDLESS OF HEARING ACUITY. FOR HEARING IMPAIRED INDIVIDUALS THESE INHERENT CONDITIONS CAN RENDER COMMUNICATIONS WITHIN THE VEHICLE IMPOSSIBLE TO UNDERSTAND, RESULTING IN MISCOMMUNICATIONS, A LACK OF COMPREHENSION AND POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING CIRCUMSTANCES. HEARING AIDS GENERALLY EXACERBATE THE PROBLEM BY INDISCRIMINENTLY AMPLIFYING THE BACKGROUND NOISE AS WELL AS THE DESIRED SOUND. PHASE I WILL CONCENTRATE ON THE DEVELOPMENT AND PILOT TESTING OF AN INDUCTION ASSISTIVE LISTENING SYSTEM DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR USE IN VEHICLES, SUCH AS PASSENGER AND DRIVER EDUCATION CARS, TRUCKS, TAXI CABS, BUSES, TRAINS, OTHER MASS TRANSIT LAND OR SEA VEHICLES, AND WHEREVER INTELLIGIBLE COMMUNICATION IS IMPORTANT IN A VEHICLE. VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE PROPOSED TECHNOLOGY WILL TRANSMIT A DIRECT HIGH QUALITY AUDIO SIGNAL FROM A NOISE CANCELLING MICROPHONE, RADIO OR OTHER SOURCE DIRECTLY TO THE HEARING AID EQUIPPED DRIVER AND/OR PASSENGERS. THE MAJOR PROBLEMS THAT HAVE PREVENTED USE OF INDUCTION LOOP SYSTEMS (ILS) IN VEHICLES, E.G. ELECTRICAL NOISE AND FIELD DISTORTING HIGH METAL CONTENT WILL BE INVESTIGATED. THE FEASIBILITY OF CREATING AND COMMERCIALIZING AN ILS THAT IS ELECTRONICALLY AND MECHANICALLY TAILORED TO THE VEHICULAR ENVIRONMENT WILL BE STUDIED.