A team of University of Sheffield engineering students have been named runners up in a global assistive technology design challenge.
The mechanical engineering and computer science students virtually presented their innovative Hear4Me smartwatch device, which enables people with hearing loss to detect and navigate important environmental sounds to a panel of leading experts in assistive and accessible technology at the Empower 2025 conference at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi.
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The students, who were up against 40 competing teams, began their work by researching current trends and pinpointing critical issues faced by individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, including high cost, poor reliability and technical limitations such as battery life. The resulting solution, a dedicated smartwatch, tackles these issues by alerting wearers to essential sounds such as the doorbell, fire alarms and alarm clocks. The watch listens to the environment and detects these sounds, then notifies the wearer through haptic (vibration) feedback and an on-screen alert system. Crucially, the device can be produced at a fraction of the cost of current models on the market.
The device was developed in three key stages: consulting with people with hearing loss for feedback, creating a functional prototype and building a versatile companion app for both Android and iOS devices that was able to provide users the ability to configure which alerts they would receive based on their preferences. User testing and feedback was essential to the development of the watch, generating ideas such as adding flash alerts, implementing adjustable settings, improving battery life and looking at waterproofing for future iterations.
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Mechanical engineering student James Emre Midmer and computer science students Yanki G Kirlikova, Yagmur Ona and Irmak Akman are behind the invention. They are currently focusing on product improvement, developing a strategy for market entry and maintaining a robust cycle of feedback through collaborations with local charities such as Rotherham Sight and Sound.
‘Our presentation went very well and we received a standing ovation for our Hear4Me watch as the audience was very interested in our device,’ said Emre Midmer. ‘We were so excited to achieve second place at an international level assistive technology design competition, especially as the only UK team who made the shortlist!’
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‘We’ve had great feedback from Rotherham Sight and Sound, confirming high user interest,’ said Kirlikova. ‘Crucially, at only £35, our product offers essential support at a fraction of the cost of most assistive tech and we are now focused on further refinement and bringing this affordable solution to the market.’
The Empower student-led design challenge is an international competition where student teams design and develop innovative, affordable and practical solutions in the field of assistive technology. Find out more here.
The students’ virtual Hear4Me presentation can be viewed here.
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