University of Miami - Ibis Yearbook (Coral Gables, FL)

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SOMEDAY THE TOTALLY DEAF MAY HEAR WITH THEIR SKIN. I r number of me- dical researchers, including Drs. D. Kimbrough Oiler and Rebecca Eilers, psycholinguists In the department of pediatrics at UM ' s Mailman Center for Child Development, firmly believe in this eventuality. In fact, they ' ve already taught a small skin vocabulary to some of their subjects, individuals whose perfectly good hearing was purposely blanked out. What we identify as noise consists of vibrations picked up by receptors and recorded In some form or fashion. The cochlea In the ears of a hearing person react to the vibrations and transmit them to the brain, where impulses are sorted and interpreted. For those with impaired hearing, the receptor or cochlea may not receive or transmit the sound waves. Of the other four senses — seeing, smelling, tasting, and feeling — the tactile sense, feeling, seems to be the most feasible pathway for overcoming deficiencies in hearing or seeing. (Experiments are being made with seeing canes, which pick up impulses to alert the blind to obstacles.) Drs. Oiler and Eilers, together with Ph.D. candidate William Gavin, are working with an instrument called a vibratory tactual vocoder, which mechanically translates sound waves into pulsations on the skin. They are studying how readily a person can learn to identify and interpret these vibrations into words, how much can be processed and understood, and what, if any, limitations exist. Specifically, the subject wearing on one arm a wrist-to-elbow sleeve containing 24 solenoids receptors enters a booth. Earphones producing white noise mask the hearing. The researchs speak into a microphone and the vocoder translates the sounds into vibrations which activate small plungers in the solenoids, producing what ' s described as a tickling sensation on the subjects skin. By identifying the location on the arm, moving from high frequency near the wrist to low frequency near the elbow, and the varying intensities of the vibrations, the subject can recognize patterns which can be interpreted as words. Adult subjects seem to be able to assimilate patterned vocabularies without much difficulty. Dr. Oiler said. After some 60 hours of training, a vocabulary of 60 to 80 words can be acquired. Sentences can be understood. Vocal intonations can be imitated. We have done some work with children, and that ' s where we ' d like to go now. Dr. Oiler said. We could use written words with older children and pictures or the identification of objects with the younger ones and show them the written word or the object. Then we could say the word to them so they could learn to recognize the tactile pattern. We ' re looking for parents of children with hearing impairments who might cooperate with us. The Mailman group is using a vocoder that was hand assembled at the Oregon Research Institute and is on loan to them. These devices cost from $75,000 to $150,000 to design and build. Dr. Oiler estimates. About a dozen different types of these instruments exist, but none of them is near the manufacturing stage. The borrowed vocoder is vibrotactile, he explained, using the mechanical transfer of vibrations through the solenoids. Electrocutaneous devices are being introduced which use electrodes to transmit the impules. Although their vocoder is too cumbersome to be portable. Dr. Oiler and his colleagues say that future developers will miniaturize them, even to the extent that a small child could wear one, probably around his stomach. MAILMAN CENTER 11

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r o z All Geology majors are required to successfully complete a four to six week course in practical field work. Until 1974, Miami students had to enroll in one of several other universities which offered this specialty, mostly in the western regions of the United States. In May 1975 the UM Geology department inaugurated its own annual field course. Because UM specializes in Caribbean research, Guatemala was chosen as the training ground. It was a good choice. Within a reasonably small geographic area, almost all major geologic features are available for study — and they ' re active! In March 1976, 22,000 people were killed in a major earthquake generated by movement along the northern plate boundary. In the three weeks of field study, students are subjected to many experiences, language differences, climate change, physical discomfort and long hours. The effort, however, is rewarded with an intense variety of accomplishments, a few which are alluded to in the accompanying pictures. Live volcanoes, caverns, ancient lost cities, jungle reconnassance, and dyssentery filled the days of the student. II The Geology Department emphasizes research. The incorporation of complex and sophistocated laboratories distinguishes this department and gives the undergraduate an opportunity to research and teach in special programs. Included in the laboratories are isotopic and geochemical facilities to determine radioactive ages by radiocarbon and potassium-argon dating. Oxygen isotopic ratios allow the determination of paleo-temperatures (climates of past times and prediction of future climates.) The inclusion of undergraduates in special research courses and programs has evolved and expanded successfully over the past four years to the point of national recognition. ACADEMICS 13