Engineering students at Rice University are working on something, for their senior thesis project, that could very well be revolutionary. They call it VEST, and it is being made to help the deaf “feel” speech.
VEST, Versatile Extra-Sensory Transducer, uses data collected from someone speaking and converts it into a pattern of vibrations from 24 computer chips located across the back of the worn vest.
Evan Dougal, a senior at the university, explains:
“You just feel vibrations on your back. It’s a little bit like somebody’s just tapping on your back. You’re, basically, subconsciously learning to interpret these (vibrations) as actual sounds.”
The students are refining this technology under the guidance of neuroscientist David Eagleman, who actually unveiled the technology at a TED Talk just last month. He says:
“The key is that, deaf people can come to understand the language of the vest. So by wearing (it) and practicing and by having these patterns that represent different sounds they can come to hear what’s going on. They, essentially, can circumvent a broken auditory system.”
The only other solution for deafness is a cochlear implant, which requires invasive surgery. The VEST has the potential to be a far more superior alternative as its construction costs a whopping 40 times less than an implant and doesn’t require any surgery, only time to practice and acclimate. This could be a world-spanning answer to the issue of deafness.
Here is a video from Rice University as the students and their mentors give a brief explanation about the VEST:
If you have another 20 minutes to spare, here is the TED Talk where Eagleman not only addresses the VEST, but shares some results and his aspirations for future technology.