PRODUCT DESIGN

HEARING AID DEVICE

SUBMITTED TO: DR ALI RAZA

SUBMITTED BY: M.MUNEEB IRFAN (2018-MC-87)

UNIVERSITY OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY LAHORE

28-JULY-2021
Problem Statement
There is a problem of hearing in individuals of our society specifically in elder people. Some of
the individuals around us face difficulty in listening (hearing loss) due to some reasons which
might be due to an accident, a loud noise from industries, airplanes or due to nutritional loses.
This loss of hearing might result in the loss of self-esteem, confidence, studies and other diseases
in people.
Young and healthy people manage their work in efficient and active way. They are able to take
care of themselves and others. However, as the age declines, many people face different health
problems that can make them weak and dependent upon other people. Elderly and differently
abled people need support and care because they are vulnerable to accidents. The objective of the
project is to design a device that can help them in listening to the voices of the world in much
better way.

Persona Development
In order to understand the needs and requirements of a hearing mechanism, we must consider a
client of the device so we can create a human centered design. Following is a hypothetical
persona developed for a hearing aid device.
Name: Mirza Anwar Baig
Age: 69 years
City: Lahore
Profession: Mechanical Engineer
Disease or disability: Weak eyesight, loss of hearing, anxiety
Details: Mirza Anwar Baig is a 69 years old man who is facing a hearing loss problem for two
years.
Hobbies
 Book reading
 Watching TV
Technologies: He likes to make himself advanced with the ever growing world.
Problem
Mr. Anwar suffers from this disease for the past two years and according to him he has lost much
due to this disease. Therefore, It is advisable for all the individuals that they should be given an
equal chance to enjoy their lives. The young and elders should have the ability to make informed
choices about listening to the voices of the world so that they can fulfill their educational
potential and lead fulfilling lives.
Story Beats
The design implementation and production of such a device which will suit every person’s need
for compensating the hearing loss is a hard task to work on. Designing a wearable device like a
microphone which’ll improve the hearing across specific ranges of the audio spectrum or turning
up the volume and will be adjustable according to the loss of certain person which’ll compensate
their loss. The device has the following characteristics.
 Single button operation
 Power Indicator LED
 Pocket hanging device
 Soft Casing

Target features
 It should have a smooth/soft surface.
 Small compact size.
 It should have a hanging system.
 It should be easy to turn on or off.
 It should have a power indicator to check if the device is working.
 It should have a rechargeable battery/renewable power source.
 It should have adjustable audio.

Improvements
There are several improvements made and the final product is here as shown above. The
improvements made are as follows.
 On/Off switch instead of push button
 Lighter outer body
 Pocket hanging device instead of pocket device.
 Easy handling by small size
 Battery easy to remove
Concept Sketches

Selected concept
The selected concept is shown in the figure. This shape is selected for the outer cover because it
is a smooth design. The first prototype has edges so it was not selected. Moreover, because of its
planer surfaces, it is easy to position the circuit in it. The design is compact and does not look
odd. This design is unisex because it can be worn in various ways as desired by the user. With its
hanging part, it can be worn on a pocket, can be put in the front pocket of the shirt or hooked on
the collar. This variant has an on/off button which makes its operation easy for the elderly who
usually have tremble in their hands.
Prototype

Materials and Components:

 Capacitors
 Resistors
 Transistors
 Speaker
 Hands free
 Battery + holder
 Amplifier

Circuit diagram:
Conclusion:
Current hearing aid technology with its innovations better meet needs of individuals who are
hard of hearing. Reduction in moderate-severe symptoms of depression. 86% of case participants
reported that hearing aids increased their self-confidence. 88% of case participants reported
that hearing aids had positively changed their enjoyment of life. 23% felt safer wearing their
hearing aids.
Hearing aid feedback is what happens when the acoustic signal or sound wave escapes the
ear canal and hits the hearing aid microphone. It can sound like a squeal, screech, whistle,
loud buzz or hiss.