Monday, May 31, 2010

Music For Deaf People Collar

The first time I learned Beethoven had a bit of a hearing problem, I was baffled as to how he managed to go on with his music career.  It’s been said that he listened through vibrations in the floor to discover different things like to find out if the audience really liked his work.  Using vibrations to “hear” isn’t an entirely uncommon concept for anyone who is deaf, which does still make this concept a little odd.  Then again, it’s not exactly far fetched either.  This collar is meant to give music to the deaf by using those vibrations to trigger the right area of the brain, allowing them to listen.

This collar was done by a German designer who wanted the deaf to be able to at least feel the music.  It converts auditory input into vibrations that trigger the same sound-processing area of the brain as someone with functioning hearing.  Whether or not it will really catch on is debatable, but it’s an interesting concept at the very least.

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