Revolutionary Healthcare Design: Hearing Aid Inspired by Crystals to Fight Stigmas

An Australian team unveiled Facett, a unique, patient-friendly and low-cost hearing aid. It embodies the perfect combination of innovative health technology and great design to help the fight against stigmas connected to wearing hearing aids and give hope for a more inclusive society. The name, Facett, resembles the truly multi-faceted and modular character of the hearing aid. It means if a certain part of the hardware is upgraded, has to be amended or modified, wearers don’t have to change the entire device, only parts of it. Moreover, users are able to manage their personal settings digitally, sparing Australians living in remote areas long trips to specialists. An inclusive design process for a beautiful and functional device However, the truly revolutionary part of Facett lies in its design and the design process itself. The hearing aid is the result of a unique collaboration led by Professors Peter Blamey and Elaine Saunders from Blamey Saunders, in partnership with Extel Technologies, RMIT and Swinburne University, and with support from the Australian Federal and Victorian State governments. Leah Heiss, Ph.D. researcher and lecturer in RMIT’s School of Design and School of Architecture and Urban Design was included in the development team. She spent 9 months with mechanical, electronic engineers and audiologists making sure human-centered design will not get out of focus at any stage of the process. It took 130 prototypes but the result is an incredibly functional, ...
Source: The Medical Futurist - Category: Information Technology Authors: Tags: Healthcare Design future hearing hearing aid hearing technology wearables Source Type: blogs