AID GIVES MUSIC TO THE DEAF

From: The Mirror, UK - 15 Jan 2003

AN inventor has designed a way for deaf people to be able to hear music.

At present hearing aids can pick up speech but not more complicated sound, such as music.

But Dr Robert Fearn has developed a way of decoding notes and sending digital signals to 22 electrodes inside an earpiece.

He said: "I've always been interested in music and wanted to help people.

"I like to work on projects which contribute to society in some way."

The scientist, 31, is a guitar and trumpet player and was born in Wiltshire. He worked on the "bionic ear" for his doctorate in Australia.

He is now working for Cambridge Positioning Systems, to find a way of locating mobile phones making emergency calls.

He has won the Far Eastern Economic Review's Young Inventor's Award for his work.

© 2003 The Mirror