JULIUS STEIN
Currently, I am a Product Manager at Formlabs, working on our Software team. I recently received a Master’s in Design Engineering from Harvard University while working as a Technical Assistant in the Artificial Intelligence Group at MIT Lincoln Laboratories. Before returning to graduate school, I taught Computer Science to high school students in East Boston through Teach for America while pursuing a Master’s in Education.
In undergrad, I studied Computer Science with a specialization in Human-Computer Interaction, as well as Philosophy at the University of Chicago. Outside of the classroom, I have also worked in software development and product design at startups in Boston and New York, and taught computer science for a number of non-profits.
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Email03 FELTDOC 234—34/2
DATE: 10/2022 (ONGOING)
LOCATION: CAMBRIDGE; DUBAI
An integrated communication system for the DeafBlind, merging speech detection with emotion-conveying haptics
There are over 15 million people in the world who have severe deafblindness. Most of these people have to rely on human translators to communicate. Even with a speech-to-braille reader, people with deafblindness often feel left out when they cannot understand the subtext, or underlying emotion, of a conversation or social setting.
Through thorough research and testing, our team designed a three part system - Felt - that allows the wearer to understand the three components of conversation: presence, text, and subtext.
Felt is a new communication system for the DeafBlind community, aiming to bridge the gap in conveying emotions during conversations. Comprising a 3-part mechanism, the system uses a shirt-worn pin with a camera and microphone to detect speech, tone, and facial expressions. This data feeds into a wrist-worn braille reader for real-time text display. Simultaneously, solenoid-driven actuators on the arm reflect the speaker's emotions with varying tap intensities through the emotion-conveying tap patterns of the ProTactile system. This innovative solution promises a more holistic and intuitive communication experience.
Felt recieved a Gold Medal at the 2023 SPARK Design Awards, and a selection from the Prototypes for Humanity Comittee.