Essay on Sensors and Sensory Technology: A Human Perception Guide

A sensor can be defined as a mechanism that perceives and responds to some type of information from the physical environment. A sensor can be in the form of hardware, software, or both combined in a gadget. In human beings, a sense can be defined as the physiological power to avail information for perception (Lenay, Canu & Villon, 2014). Thoughts give human beings the capacity to detect external stimuli and perceive it. Sensory technology is, therefore, a technical means which enables human beings to enhance their ability in performing different activities such as conscious, memorizing, calculating, and focusing among others. It helps people to better respond to the physical environment (Lenay, Canu & Villon, 2014). Sensory technology has been in existence since the 1960s when it was used to improve the blind to transform stimuli that were connected to their sensory mode of vision. Apart from the neural technology used in assisting the blind, there are several others which are used to sense the physical environment. The paper will explore hearing aid as one of the sensory technology that has placed a critical role in human beings.

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One of the sensory technologies that are of critical concern and has transformed the lives of several human beings is the hearing aid. A hearing aid is a small electronic device that is worn behind or in the ear (Mroz, 2019).The tool makes louder so that a person with hearing impairment can communicate healthily. The gadget has three parts, namely; a microphone, amplifier, and speaker. The aid receives sound through the microphone, converts it to electric signals and sends them to the amplifier (Mroz, 2019).. The role of the amp is to increase the intensity of the music and sends it to the ear through the speaker.

The establishment of a hearing aid can be traced back to the 17th century but gradually developed to the modern gadgets that have digital technologies. The first electronic hearing aid was established in 1898, and by 20th century the first ones had been distributed to the market commercially (Mroz, 2019). Research indicates that the first hearing aids were external and would direct sound from in front of the ear while blocking other sounds (Lenay, Canu & Villon, 2014). The gadget was placed behind or in the ear. When it was first brought to the market for commercial purposes in the twentieth century, it was sold for $400.The invention of the Digital Signal Processing Chip (DSP) transformed the hearing aid to the current digital technology.

The digital hearing aid was first developed by the Bell telephone laboratories for the use of both speech and audio signals on a large mainframe computer. But because of its large size, the transmission was slow. The large size could not give any signs for the hearing aiding fitting the ear, but with gradual developments, the format was resized. In 1970 the microchip processor was developed, and it helped in resizing of the hearing aid to that which could fit the ear(Mroz, 2019). Through Edgar Villchur, the development of the multi-channel amplitude compression was developed. The structure of the compressor became the foundation for the development of digital technology hearing aid.

I have chosen the hearing aid because it is a technological device that enables people with hearing impairment to perceive sounds, listen, communicate and participate in any other activities that would otherwise not been possible without the technology. It qualifies to be a sensory technology because it detects and responds to sound from the physical environment. The primary role of the hearing aid is to improve hearing and speech conception in people who have a hearing impairment as a result of the damage of sensory cells in the inner ear. In this regard, it implies that the hearing aid is a neural technology because it plays the role of the damaged sensory cells in the ear (Mroz, 2019). Similarly, it is a sensory technology because it converts vibrations and converts them into neural signals that are passed to the brain for interpretation. The hearing aid detects external stimuli and perceives it. A deaf person's inner ear does not function and to help them operate like an average person the hearing aid replaces the functions of the inner ear by turning sound into electrical energy (Lenay, Canu & Villon, 2014). The energy is then used to stimulate the cochlear nerve, which transmits sound to the brain for action to be taken. It qualifies to be a sensory technology because it helps a deaf person to detect information from the external environment and perceive it. Also, it is a neural technology because it helps a person to receive information through the fitted device instead of the hearing senses which cannot work because of the impairment in deaf people (Lenay, Canu & Villon, 2014). It is a sensory technology because it enables deaf people to make sense of data from the outside world and transmits it to the brain for action.

The people who use hearing aids are those that have damaged inner ear or the nerve that connects the ear to the brain. It is important to note that not all people with hearing impairment can use hearing aids (Lenay, Canu & Villon, 2014). The damages to the inner ear can be as a result of disease, aging, side effects from medication, and loud noise. The intended users are the people who have difficulty hearing conversations, especially when they are in a group setting. Another group of people who are need of hearing aids is those who find difficulty in understanding others if they are not physically close to them (Lenay, Canu & Villon, 2014). On the other hand, there are also the unintended users, and they include; people who have a severe ear damaged such that even the significant vibrations cannot be converted into neural signals - those whose ear damage can be corrected through the use of medication.

Hearing aids can be gradually improved through the use of technological advancements that are discovered by different experts. One of the ways through which hearing aids can be developed is through the fitting in of more features to help people with hearing impairment communicate more (NIDCD, 2017). One of the accessories that can be made to improve hearing aids is the Bluetooth compatibility which is a wireless feature that enables hearing aids to be connected to the mobile phones and other apparatus that use the technology. It helps in eradicating feedback and improves the signal to noise proportion. Bluetooth feature is also less prone to interference (NIDCD, 2017). The use of sound processing and frequency response application helps with the customization to a specific hearing loss.

Additionally, another way through which hearing aids can be improved is through artificial intelligence feature which learns the preference of the user. For instance, by setting certain volume limits and choice for specific environments, the AI will be adjusting the hearing aid when the user is in such situations (NIDCD, 2017). Also, their applications which help the user to contact their service providers monitor battery life and routing phone calls among others. Besides, the aids can be improved by fitting them with rechargeable batteries enabling a person to avoid changing batteries frequently. It can also be enhanced by providing them with tinnitus masking features.

It is important to note that sensory technology has brought a great impact in human life. Hearing aids are vital for people with hearing impairments. The feature can be programmed by an audiologist or any other expert to avoid ringing in the ears. Improvement can also be made through fitting them with binaural processing which enables the hearing aids to communicate wirelessly with one another. There are also the digital and impulse noise reduction fittings which regulate the sound to avoid noise.

References

Lenay, C., Canu, S., & Villon, P. (1997, August). Technology and perception: The contribution of sensory substitution systems. In Proceedings Second International Conference on Cognitive Technology Humanizing the Information Age (pp. 44-53). IEEE.

Mroz, M. (2019). New Hearing Aid Technology retrieved from https://www.healthyhearing.com/help/hearing-aids/technologyNIDCD. (2017). Hearing Aids retrieved from https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing-aids