From Ideas to Innovation

By Sean Jiang | August 18, 2023

So far over the summer, I have made massive improvements and added many features to my innovation.

Firstly, I recorded more spatial audio sounds and added more spatial audio channels. I used in-ear microphones which are able to take into account the shape and distance between our ears to record these new spatial audio sounds to create a more realistic listening experience.

Another change to the design was switching from sound effect audio cues to musical audio cues. Combining music (something I love) with my design was awesome, because it also provided a more audibly pleasing experience when testing.

I also added another feature that utilizes a machine learning algorithm to describe the scene in front of the subject. It is able to identify the name of objects in front of the user and also tell you the exact distance and direction of the object.

Finally, the design overall has been downsized. Before my laptop was housed inside a backpack and wired to the depth sensor. Now the design uses a Raspberry Pi, a mini computer, to house the code instead.

Another great part about my summer with the 3M Young Scientist Challenge has been working and learning with my mentor. Most of the design improvements I discussed before were a direct result of brainstorming with my mentor. Another great part about the mentorship has been being able to keep my project fresh. It has been great to have new ideas for improvement and also being able to improve my own skills as a programmer, engineer, and young scientist.

This mentorship experience has taught me many important skills, such as learning to prioritize my ideas based on effort and importance and how to effectively test and experiment with my design, allowing me to stay productive and innovative!