Fujitsu's Ontenna could be a big deal for the deaf

Among the robots, big screens and fast computers of Japan's Ceatec electronics show, a small prototype being shown off by Fujitsu is probably one of the lowest tech gadgets on the show floor, but it could be one of the most important. The Ontenna is a small gadget intended to be worn in the hair that translates sound into vibrations. The technology is similar to the kinds of things children make with electronics kits: a microphone connected to an amplifier connected to a motor. But in the hair-clip-style form factor, it can help deaf people understand more about the world around them, said Shinji Kanda, who works in Fujitsu's Robotics Advancement Office. He started the project during his freshman year at Japan's Future University of Hakodate after a chance encounter with someone who was deaf.