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A NORTH Melbourne product designer is a contender on the world stage for his invention that enables the deaf to feel sound.
Swinburne University industrial design graduate Jack Allwood has created the Outer Ear, a non-surgical alternative to the cochlear implant and hearing aids. “It enables anyone to feel a knock on the door, a fire alarm sounding, a person calling out from behind,” Mr Allwood, 21, said. Working on a similar principle to a human eardrum, which receives and translates sound waves into signals that the brain can interpret, the device is worn between the wrist and the elbow on the inner forearm. “It converts sound waves into physical vibrations that the wearer can feel on their skin,” Mr Allwood said. “The OE would create a whole new home entertainment experience and create a safer environment for bike riders, drivers, motorbike riders and pedestrians.” The Bluetooth device could even be used as a silent alarm clock, baby monitor or phone accessory. “I want to get it out on to the market so it can be used by anyone, even if they are not deaf,” he said. The idea originated from an experience at a nightclub with a deaf friend. Mr Allwood said they were dancing and the friend removed his hearing aids. “This intrigued me and I asked him why he removed his hearing aids and he stated that he could feel the complexities of the music much better in his chest, especially the base and deep notes, which allowed him to dance on beat and enjoy all types of music,” Mr Allwood said. He hoped the invention would enable the deaf and people with hearing difficulties to experience music in a way they never new before. “This device is not meant to replace the ears like a cochlear but merely eliminate the safety issues that reside from being hard of hearing and hopefully create a new way to experience things once lost or never known,” he said. After making the shortlist of 28 inspiring concept designs vying for the 2010 Australian Design Award - James Dyson Award - Mr Allwood has qualified for the international James Dyson Award. “I’m hoping to win the award or at least get more exposure for the design, so I can find engineers or anyone interested in developing the design into a realistic product people can benefit from,” he said. (by moonee-valley-leader.whereilive.com.au)
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