Title: HomeSound: An Iterative Field Deployment of an In-Home Sound Awareness System for Deaf or Hard of Hearing Users
Advisors: Leah Findlater and Jon Froehlich
Abstract: Home sound awareness technology has the potential to inform deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) people about their homes, home activities, and household members. In this talk, I will present the design and field evaluation of two iterative prototypes of a home sound awareness system for DHH users. Prototype 1 contained 3-5 interconnected tablets per home to sense and visualize simple sound characteristics such as loudness and pitch. A three-week deployment in four DHH homes showed an increase in participants’ home- and self-awareness, but also challenges because the tablets needed to be within line of sight, and sounds were not specifically identified. Thus, in Prototype 2 we added sound classification for 19 common home sounds and smartwatches for wearable alerts. Deployment in four homes showed a further increase in home awareness, but misclassifications and constant watch vibrations were not well received. Other findings related to self-awareness, privacy, and display placement provide guidance for future home sound awareness technology.