Computer science students from Dubai's University of Wollongong took fourth place at the Microsoft Gulf Imagine Cup for developing Ear It, software that turns a mobile device into a tool for conducting a hearing test. Wollongong's Shawn Frank says low-cost and user-friendly software such as Ear It is needed because checkups can be expensive.
"The user plugs in earphones and listens to a set of beeps at different decibels," says Wollongong student Rashida Daruwala. Users select the "yes" or "no" option based on how clearly and loudly they can hear a beep, and the results are shown per decibel.
Ear It also is designed to access the Internet, and government agencies or hospitals can set up a server and collect information. "We can use this application to detect hearing loss at an early stage and collect statistics on hearing impairment in the [United Arab Emirates]," Daruwala says.
From Khaleej Times
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