After graduating from the Department of Systems Engineering and Engineering Management at CityU, Ruth Ngan Wai-tung teamed up with her schoolmate Christy Tse Man-wai, from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and founded Laso Technology in 2019. With the support of CityU’s SEEDS Fund and HKSTP’s STEP programme, they are developing a novel biomimetic device, called Silent Whisper, which is a smart bracelet that offers people with mild to moderate hearing loss an alternative to traditional hearing aids.
Equipped with a wireless microphone, the unobtrusive device can receive and recognise sound waves from the surroundings. Using automatic speech recognition technology, the app that supports the bracelet extracts features of the “specified words” for pattern matching. It then activates vibration notifications so that the user is aware that someone is talking or that the user is speaking too loud.
The product, which provides partial hearing ability, is expected to be launched in 2022. The concept was awarded third prize (social enterprise / culture & creative services) at the 6th Hong Kong University Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition in 2020. Laso Technology is currently exploring the possibility of cooperation with one of the biggest apps for the people with hearing impairment in mainland China.
“Our goal is to enable individuals with hearing impairment, who often face stigma and neglect, to live with dignity. Our ultimate goal is to promote social inclusion,” says Ruth.
(March 2021)
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