Designing a Conversation Support Tool for Quiet Environments by Focusing on the Characteristics of Ultrasonic Waves

DS 116: Proceedings of the DESIGN2022 17th International Design Conference

Year: 2022
Editor: Mario Štorga, Stanko Škec, Tomislav Martinec, Dorian Marjanović
Author: Natsumi Hayashi, Yuma Matsumoto, Shigeru Wesugi
Series: DESIGN
Institution: Waseda University, Japan
Section: Engineering Design Practice
Page(s): 2453-2462
DOI number: https://doi.org/10.1017/pds.2022.248
ISSN: 2732-527X (Online)

Abstract

In a quiet environment, even a small noise attracts the attention of the people around. In order to reduce the stress of speakers, listeners, and other people around them, we devised a tool to support conversation by converting voice into ultrasonic waves and outputting them from parametric speakers to deliver the sound to the conversation partner. Since light materials can be used for soundproofing ultrasonic waves, we used cardboard and newspaper as soundproofing materials. We confirmed that the sound converted by the tool can be used for conversation and soundproofed.

Keywords: ultrasonic wave, conversation support, communication, problem solving, product design