Hearing with Our Skin
Recent research has revealed that our skin can play a surprising role in auditory perception, effectively allowing us to “hear” through our skin. This phenomenon demonstrates the remarkable plasticity of our sensory systems and the brain’s ability to integrate information from multiple sources.
Tactile Sound Perception
In 2009, researchers Bryan Gick and Donald Derrick conducted a groundbreaking study that showed how tactile cues could influence speech perception[1]. They found that when participants listened to certain syllables while simultaneously receiving puffs of air on their skin, it affected their perception of the sounds. For example, when hearing “ba” or “da” (which don’t normally produce air puffs when spoken) while feeling a puff of air on their skin, participants often mistakenly perceived these sounds as “pa” or “ta” (which do produce air puffs).
Skin-Attachable Acoustic Sensors
Building on this concept, recent technological advancements have led to the development of skin-attachable acoustic sensors. In 2022, researchers at Pohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH) created a microphone that can be easily attached to the skin[2][3]. This device, which is only a quarter of a fingernail in size and a few hundred micrometers thick, demonstrates several remarkable features:
- It has a wider auditory field than human ears
- Its auditory sensitivity surpasses that of human ears
- It can detect both very loud sounds (over 85 decibels) and low-frequency sounds inaudible to humans
- Its voice detection quality is comparable to cellular phone or studio microphones
Potential Applications
These developments in skin-based hearing technology have exciting potential applications:
- Assistive devices for people with hearing impairments
- Wearable voice recognition devices for IoT and human-machine interfaces
- Enhanced audio perception in noisy environments
- Potential development of “auditory electronic skin” when integrated with other sensors
As research in this field continues, we may see further integration of tactile and auditory senses, potentially revolutionizing how we interact with sound and expanding our sensory capabilities beyond traditional boundaries.