Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
database and communities will have the
service only if they elect to use it. If the
Smart911 service is in place, individuals
with disabilities can register their per-
sonal information helpful for emergency
operators to know. For example, the safety
profile provided by the registrant could
have information about the number of
people in residence, floor plans, and other
rescue-related data. For individuals with
hearing loss who are unable to communi-
cate, a call to 911 from a registered num-
ber would trigger the safety profile of the
caller, and the emergency operator would
have specific information for emergency
responders. Smart911 may also allow
emergency operators to engage in a text
messaging (short message service; SMS)
session with the caller. More information
about this service can be found at http://
www.smart911.com/
The second is taking advantage of
one of several apps, aptly named “emer-
gency button” or “panic button.” The idea
behind these apps is for users to precon-
figure messages to specific individuals in
case of an emergency. Using the cellular
service, Wi-Fi, and GPS, messages may
be sent indicating the emergency and
give GPS coordinates of the individual's
whereabouts. Reviews of the various
apps are mixed because of the sensitiv-
ity of the button and the accuracy of
the alert. However, all agree that these
apps could be very useful but could ben-
efit from improvement and refinement.
Such technology would be useful to indi-
viduals both with and without hearing
loss.
Video Calling: Not Just for
Distant Communication
When listening environments involve a
significant distance between the speaker
and the listener, hampering the use of
visual cues, use of a video projection
system can facilitate the use of visual
information. Because visual cues can
supplement hearing, many lecture halls,
worship centers, boardrooms, and other
facilities have projection systems that can
easily project the image of the speaker
onto a screen to help the audience. With
or without hearing loss, visual cues make
listening easier. Figure 15-2 illustrates the
use of video projection in a moderate-
sized classroom, while Figure 15-3 rep-
resents a large lecture hall.
When a facility does not have a video
projection system or a camera, video call-
ing may, in the near future, become a
viable substitute for a projection system.
If the speaker has a smart device with a
camera, the video, along with the audio,
can be transmitted to other smart devices
around the world, or to the back of the
room. Presently, application of this tech-
nology is limited by the relatively low
number of smart devices than can receive
the video call. Also, there is a small, but
significant, time delay between the trans-
mission and reception of the signal, which
could compromise the synchrony of the
auditory and visual signals.
Video calling technology includes
combining audio and video transmis-
sions, but in relatively close proximity to
the transmitting device, such as within
