Giving a voice to the speechless

30 April 2008 News

A company called Ambient Corporation recently gave the first live demonstration of how its new technology, the Audeo, which will enable voiceless communication either face-to-face or via phone. The Audeo, based on ultra-low power MSP430 microcontroller (MCU) technology from Texas Instruments, is expected to offer life-changing options for people who have lost the ability to move or speak due to neurological disorders, Lou Gehrig's Disease (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy or Parkinson's.

"The Audeo can enable voiceless communication that is virtually as easy as just thinking about it," said Michael Callahan, Ambient's CEO and co-founder. "Historically, every time it becomes easier for people to communicate, people become more connected and the interactions enrich people's lives. It is our hope that the Audeo will allow many more profound ideas to change the world through communication."

The Audeo is a wireless sensor worn on the neck to capture neurological activity that the brain sends to the vocal cords, and then digitises this activity using analog and digital technology to convert it into speech. Thanks to the low power consumption of the MSP430 MCUs, the Audeo can last over eight hours on a single charge, giving people the ability to interact with their world knowing they will be able to communicate.

During a keynote presentation at the Texas Instruments Developer Conference (TIDC), Callahan demonstrated this technology by using the Audeo to place the world's first, voiceless cellphone call to Mike Hames, TI's senior vice president of Application Specific Products (ASP). The Audeo takes information gathered from the sensor worn on the neck and sends this information to a mobile phone using Bluetooth wireless technology.

For more information visit www.theaudeo.com

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Giving a voice to the speechless

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