An electrotactile sound detector for the deaf

The electrotactile sound detector described here is designed to enable deaf persons to detect and localize sounds. Two microphones are worn bilaterally on the head, the sounds received are converted to electrical pulses, and the pulses are fed to two electrodes applied to the forehead. Differences in intensity of the pulses permit the wearer to localize the source of a sound. Additional information is furnished about the rhythmic patterning of sounds.