A team of engineers from the Georgia Institute of Technology has introduced a hearing aid that will cost only a dollar.
This was reported by the portal Sci Tech Daily:
“The main problem with existing hearing aids is their price. The average price of a device is about $ 4,700. The cost of its budget analogues is about $ 500.
To reduce the cost of hearing aids, scientists have abandoned expensive digital signal processors and replaced them with electronic filters (which are needed to adjust frequency settings).
"This part, made on a 3D printer, is hidden in the case and is battery-operated," said the scientists.
It is noted that the leading author of the invention, Soham Sinha, also suffers from hearing problems.
"I was born with a hearing loss and could not use hearing aids until I finished high school. This project gave me a chance to find what I can do to help those who are in the same situation as me, but do not have access to hearing aids, ”he said.
The disadvantage of the device is its large size and service life of one and a half years. The batteries in the device must be replaced every three weeks.
The authors of the device emphasize that they are currently working on its size.