New patch to amplify the voices of those struggling to speak
Marie Donlon | March 20, 2023A thin adhesive patch designed for amplifying the wearer’s voice has been designed by researchers at Beijing’s Tsinghua University.
The so-called voice amplification patch, which is roughly 25 micrometers thick, reportedly interprets and projects barely voiced and even silently mouthed words when adhered to the outside of a wearer’s throat.Mouth
The graphene-based intelligent, wearable artificial throat (AT) adheres to the skin above a wearer’s larynx via standard medical adhesive. Further, a series of tiny wires connect the patch to a small microcontroller powered by a coin-sized battery.
Once adhered, the patch monitors for minute throat vibrations that are then interpreted by an artificial intelligence (AI) model. On the heels of this AI analysis, artificial sound is projected through the patch itself, emitting up to 60 decibels via electrical input thanks to the device battery that allows for the sound waves via temperature changes.
According to the researchers, testing demonstrated that the device was more than 99% accurate when used by people speaking audibly, and more than 90% accurate for those who could not.
The patch is being eyed be researchers to assist patients who have had their voice boxes removed following a laryngectomy or who suffer from aphasia following a stroke. The tool is also being considered for use by those working in loud environments, including emergency responders and pilots.
The patch is detailed in the article, Mixed-modality speech recognition and interaction using a wearable artificial throat, which appears in the journal Nature Machine Intelligence.