Free app turns phone into a hearing aid

The BioAid app is said to replicate the complexities of the human ear, unlike standard hearing aids that amplify all sounds.

BioAid, which is available on iTunes, has been developed by Prof Ray Meddis of Essex’s Department of Psychology with Nick Clark, formerly a Research Officer in the Department and Dr Wendy Lecluyse of University Campus Suffolk.

According to its developers, BioAid is a multi-channel device where sounds are input through the mobile device’s microphone and then filtered into frequency bands. Each band is processed separately and the output from each channel is combined to make the output that is delivered to the device’s earpieces.

Unlike standard aids that have a single setting, BioAid has six fixed settings each of which has four fine-tuning settings allowing the user to find the perfect match for their impairment.

In a statement, Prof Meddis said, ‘People with hearing impairment very often withdraw from public life. Even if they have a hearing aid, the technology is not sophisticated enough to offer a tailor-made solution to their impairment and in many cases people simply stop using them.