HEARING THROUGH THE SENSE OF TOUCH

[Anchor Lead]

Today marks the day of persons with disabilities in Korea. Those with hearing impairments have difficulty distinguishing the different pitches of sounds, even after receiving cochlear implant surgeries. But Korean researchers have recently developed a technology allowing the hearing-impaired recognize sounds through the sense of touch, instead of the auditory sense. Here's more

[Pkg]

[Soundbite] "Twinkle, twinkle, little star."

Cho Jeong-hwan received a cochlear implant surgery when he was a child. He is able to understand what other people say, but it is still difficult for him to distinguish the pitches of sounds when listening to music. Cho is participating in a clinical test of a new hearing aid technology. He can now feel the different pitches of sounds through stimuli applied to a glove-like device worn on his hand.

[Soundbite] CHO JEONG-HWAN(PERSON WITH HEARING IMPAIRMENT) : "They feel different. It is difficult for me to distinguish musical tunes since the auditory sense has limits."

Developed by the Korea Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, this device transforms the frequencies of auditory information into tactile signals to deliver them to the skin. Participants in the clinical test distinguished the pitches of sounds three times more accurately.

[Soundbite] PROF. LEE JOON-WOO(KANGNAM UNIVERSITY) : "It is expected to be very effective in treating those with hearing loss or impairments as well as senile deafness."

They will also be able to learn their voices and sounds heard in their surroundings through the sense of touch once they get accustomed to the device.

[Soundbite] SHIN SEUNG-YONG(KOREA ELECTRONICS & TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE) : "We plan to develop more comfortable devices and upgrade education software programs to help hearing-impaired people enjoy music better with the assistance of speech therapy."

The researchers plan to upgrade the technology and develop wearable aids to help those with hearing impairments.