{"id":2237,"date":"2017-05-30T11:42:21","date_gmt":"2017-05-30T11:42:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/inspiredtoeducate.net\/inspiredtoeducate\/?p=2237"},"modified":"2017-05-31T14:51:55","modified_gmt":"2017-05-31T14:51:55","slug":"using-arduino-to-enable-the-deaf-to-hear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/inspiredtoeducate.net\/inspiredtoeducate\/using-arduino-to-enable-the-deaf-to-hear\/","title":{"rendered":"Maker uses Arduino to enable his Wife To Hear Again"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<!-- Facebook Like Button v1.9.6 BEGIN [http:\/\/blog.bottomlessinc.com] -->\n<iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Finspiredtoeducate.net%2Finspiredtoeducate%2Fusing-arduino-to-enable-the-deaf-to-hear%2F&amp;layout=standard&amp;show_faces=false&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowTransparency=\"true\" style=\"border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height: 30px; align: left; margin: 2px 0px 2px 0px\"><\/iframe>\n<!-- Facebook Like Button END -->\n<div><a href=\"http:\/\/inspiredtoeducate.net\/inspiredtoeducate\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/boneConduction.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2238\" src=\"http:\/\/inspiredtoeducate.net\/inspiredtoeducate\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/boneConduction.png\" alt=\"Scott Walker's Bone Conduction listening device.\" width=\"616\" height=\"742\" srcset=\"http:\/\/inspiredtoeducate.net\/inspiredtoeducate\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/boneConduction.png 616w, http:\/\/inspiredtoeducate.net\/inspiredtoeducate\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/boneConduction-249x300.png 249w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 616px) 100vw, 616px\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>During our last Arduino meetup at <a href=\"http:\/\/sparkmacon.com\">SparkMacon <\/a>makerspace, I had the pleasure of witnessing a most moving talk.\u00a0 In organizing this conversation, we wanted to discuss why tinkering and engineering with Arduino matters.\u00a0 It&#8217;s helpful to remember that the makers<a href=\"http:\/\/inspiredtoeducate.net\/inspiredtoeducate\/7-reasons-why-the-makers-movement-is-revolutionary\/\"> movement <\/a>\u00a0is important because it creates new opportunities to serve and change lives with more accessibility and lower cost.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The Arduino platform has become the heartbeat of maker tools.\u00a0 In our makerspace, an Arduino powers our 3D printer, <a href=\"http:\/\/inspiredtoeducate.net\/inspiredtoeducate\/loving-laser-cutting-and-engraving\/\">laser cutter<\/a>, several robots, wearables, and drones. On <a href=\"http:\/\/www.instructables.com\/\">Instructables <\/a>and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thingiverse.com\/\">Thingiverse<\/a>, you can find hobbyist and expert makers sharing their designs of fantastic inventions.\u00a0 I think it&#8217;s cool that the Arduino was not designed for the engineering expert.\u00a0 The creators of Arduino needed to teach microprocessor and electronics design in months. \u00a0(not years) \u00a0 With this in mind, they aspired to create a micro-controller that was very accessible to the novice. \u00a0 The device needed to scale to more advanced use cases as well like digital fabrication and robotics. \u00a0 The creators desired to drive down the cost of the microcontroller from hundreds of dollars to tens of dollars.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UoBUXOOdLXY\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>With this introduction in mind, I&#8217;d like to share the story of Scott Walker and his wife.\u00a0 It&#8217;s just amazing. \u00a0 Scott Walker and I worked together at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.merc-mercer.org\/\">Mercer Engineering Research Center <\/a>in our software systems division.\u00a0 As I have been learning more about the makers movement, Scott Walker has been a wonderful mentor and example of the power of focus.\u00a0 His focus comes from a singular idea: he loves his wife.\u00a0 Many years ago, Scott&#8217;s wife started losing her capacity to see and hear due to usher&#8217;s syndrome.\u00a0 Close your eyes and imagine your life without sound or sight. Their doctors told them that she would probably never hear again. Long before IoT in the home was hip and cool, Scott started inventing small gadgets and tools to support his wife so that she could remain active, interact with the internet and be aware of situations in their home.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>During a dental visit, Scott&#8217;s wife noticed that she could hear parts of a conversation while a dental tool was being used.\u00a0 With some experimentation on the part of the dentist, they confirmed that she could hear parts of the conversation when the tool was being used against her teeth.\u00a0 Previously, medical professionals had dismissed that idea of using <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bone_conduction\">bone conduction<\/a> to enable her to hear.\u00a0 Given this experience, Scott started his own research into bone conduction for his wife.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>After consulting with a friend from Mercer Engineering Research Center, Scott discovered that Adafruit sold an inexpensive bone conduction sensor that he could integrate with an Arduino board.\u00a0 With excitement, he ordered the parts and started prototyping and iterating on his design.\u00a0 Through experiments, they learned that Scott&#8217;s wife had an easier time perceiving lower registers over high pitch voices.\u00a0 Scott programmed the micro-controller to map all incoming sound to lower registers. In later iterations of the device, he added a Bluetooth capability so that he could play music and phone calls from his IPhone into the bone conduction device.\u00a0 With a great deal of hard work, Scott created a prototype device enabling his wife to perceive nearly 100% of a normal conversation.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/V4D-2uP7O7c\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>In a very moving moment in the talk, Scott talked about his wife&#8217;s experience talking on the phone with her son using this bone conduction device.\u00a0 At this point in life, she had not heard her son&#8217;s voice in over 10 years!\u00a0 This was an emotional and technology game changer for her!\u00a0 Scott has an amazing heart.\u00a0 As he shared this story, you can see his eyes fill with tears of joy.\u00a0 As a skilled software engineer and maker, Scott has built many things.\u00a0 He&#8217;s most proud of the things he&#8217;s built to serve his wife.\u00a0 It&#8217;s an outward expression and gift that only he could give.\u00a0 There&#8217;s a unique joy in making game changing accessible technology.\u00a0 His maker spirit is powered by his determination and focus to serve and love his wife.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Scott closed the talk asking the makers to have persistence in chasing their mastery of maker skills and learning. \u00a0 He provided an amazing reflection on why the makers movement matters and it&#8217;s power to change lives.\u00a0 Scott Walker is a true maker hero.\u00a0 I am blessed to have him as a mentor.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>If you&#8217;re interested in contacting Scott Walker about his bone conduction listening device or his other accessibility tools, feel free to reach out to Scott at\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:lkosiliconmage@gmail.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">lkosiliconmage@gmail.com<\/a>.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<p><strong>Top Stories on InspiredToEducate.NET<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Learning To Code<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/inspiredtoeducate.net\/inspiredtoeducate\/?p=1319\">Easy Data Visualization with Google Charts and JavaScript<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/inspiredtoeducate.net\/inspiredtoeducate\/?p=795\">Learn to Build Your Own Conversational Bot using ChatScript<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/inspiredtoeducate.net\/inspiredtoeducate\/?p=1285\">10 Free Resources for Learning JavaScript and HTML5<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/inspiredtoeducate.net\/inspiredtoeducate\/?p=1238\">17 Fun Tools To Teach Kids To Code by @ChrisBetcher<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/inspiredtoeducate.net\/inspiredtoeducate\/?p=623\">Benefits of Teaching Kids To Code That No One Is Talking About<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/inspiredtoeducate.net\/inspiredtoeducate\/?p=1349\">Easy Recipes for Building Android Apps using MIT App Inventor<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/inspiredtoeducate.net\/inspiredtoeducate\/?p=738\">12 Steps To 3D Print Your Minecraft Creations<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/inspiredtoeducate.net\/inspiredtoeducate\/?p=849\">How to Build Your Mobile App using HTML<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/inspiredtoeducate.net\/inspiredtoeducate\/?p=1079\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Simple Minecraft Programming Using ScriptCraftJS<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Science Education<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/inspiredtoeducate.net\/inspiredtoeducate\/?p=1093\">Why hate science?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/inspiredtoeducate.net\/inspiredtoeducate\/?p=374\">7 ideas for creating a student centered learning environment by Paul Andersen<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/inspiredtoeducate.net\/inspiredtoeducate\/?p=1022\">Using candy to teach DNA structure<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Join the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/1529734900588516\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Spark Macon Maker Space Community on Facebook<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<!-- Facebook Like Button v1.9.6 BEGIN [http:\/\/blog.bottomlessinc.com] -->\n<iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Finspiredtoeducate.net%2Finspiredtoeducate%2Fusing-arduino-to-enable-the-deaf-to-hear%2F&amp;layout=standard&amp;show_faces=false&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowTransparency=\"true\" style=\"border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height: 30px; align: left; margin: 2px 0px 2px 0px\"><\/iframe>\n<!-- Facebook Like Button END -->\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>During our last Arduino meetup at SparkMacon makerspace, I had the pleasure of witnessing a most moving talk.\u00a0 In organizing this conversation, we wanted to discuss why tinkering and engineering with Arduino matters.\u00a0 It&#8217;s helpful to remember that the makers movement \u00a0is important because it creates new opportunities to serve [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4,24,16,23,8],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/inspiredtoeducate.net\/inspiredtoeducate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2237"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/inspiredtoeducate.net\/inspiredtoeducate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/inspiredtoeducate.net\/inspiredtoeducate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/inspiredtoeducate.net\/inspiredtoeducate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/inspiredtoeducate.net\/inspiredtoeducate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2237"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/inspiredtoeducate.net\/inspiredtoeducate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2237\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2242,"href":"http:\/\/inspiredtoeducate.net\/inspiredtoeducate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2237\/revisions\/2242"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/inspiredtoeducate.net\/inspiredtoeducate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2237"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/inspiredtoeducate.net\/inspiredtoeducate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2237"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/inspiredtoeducate.net\/inspiredtoeducate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2237"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}