History of Hearing Aids

Author: Hwang, Saehui

Year: 2021

Degree: Other

Advisor: Zwisler, Laila

Committee Member: None, None

Option: History

DOI: 10.7907/kbfz-af35

Abstract

[Introduction] Trumpets made of horns and hands cupped around the ear served to amplify sound since the days of hunter gatherers – a precursor to hearing aids of sorts. These devices remained fairly unchanged in principle until the 19th century. Today, hearing aids are much more than devices that simply amplify sound. Today’s hearing aids are complex instruments that combine amplification with cutting edge signal processing to enhance speech, reduce noise, cancel feedback, analyze acoustic environments, and link back to various IoT devices at home. Today, we enjoy miniaturization of electronics ranging from cell phones to pocket speakers. Miniaturization of electronics as we witness today can be attributed to several historical events such as the development of transistors (Mudry, 6) and World War II (Misa, 253). This paper will connect the history of electronics miniaturization and the development of hearing aid technology to argue that there was an inseparable bidirectional relationship between the two domains.