Population Health
January 6, 2021
New smartwatch app alerts d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing users to desired sounds
University of Washington researchers have developed SoundWatch, a smartwatch app for deaf, Deaf and hard-of-hearing people who want to be aware of nearby sounds.
When the smartwatch picks up a sound the user is interested in — examples include a siren, a microwave beeping or a bird chirping — SoundWatch will identify it and send the user a friendly buzz along with information about the sound.
The SoundWatch app is available for free as an Android download. The researchers are eager to hear feedback so that they can make the app more useful.