In some countries, namely Guatemala, hearing loss is a prevalent issue in youth that often goes undiagnosed. Diagnosis can be expensive and inaccessible, especially when professionals are needed for screening.
To combat this issue of accessibility and support those in need, Babson College and Olin College teamed up with Fundación Sonrisas que Escuchan in Guatemala to create a device that can detect early hearing loss. They also partnered with the company Solar Ear which creates solar-powered hearing aids to be their distributor and manufacturer.
Using some technology that already exists, as well as new innovations in affordability, the team will create an Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) Device that is able to determine hearing function when a sound is emitted. This device will use parts and technology that allow it to be 20-50% of the cost of other devices and have worked with audiologists to actually ensure that audiologists will not be needed on the user side and can be used effectively.
This project was given a grant of $5,9950 from EPICS at IEEE and the grant was made possible by the Jon C. Taenzer Memorial Fund established by the IEEE Foundation in 2019 with a generous bequest from the Estate of Mr. Taenzer, an IEEE Life Senior Member.