American scientists from the University of California at Los Angeles have developed a patch that allows people to speak without using their vocal cords. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine Nature Communications (NatComms).
The small, flexible device detects throat movements caused by speech and uses these contractions to generate electricity, eliminating the need for batteries.
The development is based on galfenol, an alloy of iron and gallium whose magnetic state changes during compression and deformation. Galfenol in the patch responds to slight tension in the throat muscles, producing electrical signals that can then be translated into speech.
The patch consists of five very thin layers. The outer shell is made of soft and flexible silicone material, while the core contains micromagnets. They create a magnetic field that changes depending on the movement of the throat muscles. Two surrounding layers of copper wire spools convert these changes in the magnetic field into electrical signals.
These electrical signals are then fed into a machine learning algorithm that converts the pulses into speech.
In the demonstration of the technology with eight people without speech problems, the algorithm converted the electrical impulses coming from the patch into speech with 95% accuracy.
Previous scientists was created Electronic skin that can be printed on a 3D printer.
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Source: Gazeta
Jackson Ruhl is a tech and sci-fi expert, who writes for “Social Bites”. He brings his readers the latest news and developments from the world of technology and science fiction.