Researching ways to help sight-impaired students ‘hear’ the light

Mayumi (left) and Richard Chinchihualpa connect a sound bulb prototype to a battery pack while working at the 1819 Innovation Hub.

Two students at the University of Cincinnati Blue Ash College are conducting research on new technology that could be a breakthrough for anyone who is blind or visually impaired.

Mayumi and Richard Chinchihualpa are siblings who are both pursuing engineering degrees. Mayumi is focusing on biomedical engineering with an interest in neuroscience, while Richard is studying for a career in aerospace engineering.

They are using their education and skills to collaborate with Dean Stocker, PhD, professor of physics at UC Blue Ash, in solving an accessibility opportunity that has been identified in physics labs.

"In my physics lectures I have occasionally had students who are blind or visually impaired," said Stocker. "We found ways to make the lecture work for them, but it really made me wonder what would happen if I had a sight-impaired student in a lab."

Stocker uses lightbulbs for experiments where students look to see how bright the bulb is as the voltage increases or decreases. This not an effective process for visually impaired students, so he began playing with the idea of replacing the light bulb with something that makes sound.

A fellow UC Blue Ash professor, Natalia Darling, reached out to Mayumi as an exceptional student with an interest in engineering and let her know what Stocker was trying to accomplish. She began working with him to research and test potential solutions, but they struggled to find the answer. They needed something that could replicate the gradual increase and decrease in light that a change in voltage generates. They needed to change the light bulb into a sound bulb.

The team makes updates to the circuit board as part of the ongoing research and testing.

After designing a simple circuit based around a microchip and creating a few prototypes, they recruited Richard into the project. He developed a prototype 3-D printed enclosure for the circuit board, worked with Mayumi on more prototypes and made several revisions. The group is using the MakerSpace and 3-D printers at UC's 1819 Innovation Hub as they develop a version that could provide the solution. "It works and it works well," said Mayumi.

Stocker says he is amazed by the progress Mayumi and Richard have made in researching and testing this new technology.

"Mayumi impressed me right from the start, doing a literature search in which she found relevant publications that I had not discovered. Richard has impressed me especially with his understanding of the circuitry, and the 3-D printed enclosures that he has designed and refined through multiple revisions," he said.

The students have presented their work at several conferences and will soon be published. Their manuscript was recently accepted for publication by The Physics Teacher, a peer-reviewed journal that features papers on physics research. It is also being submitted by the university for a U.S. provisional patent application.

"Working on this project has been a rewarding learning experience that aligns with my aim to serve as a bridge in my field and community," said Mayumi. "Having the chance to work closely with the UC Blue Ash staff, guided by Professor Darling and mentored by Professor Stocker, has continually shown me how supportive and encouraging this campus community is."

Richard adds that he appreciates the opportunity to apply engineering design thinking in a real-world context.

"This project provided me with foundational research experience and strengthened my leadership and technical skills, especially through designing and testing a 3D-printed case, given that one of our biggest challenges was trying to balance accessibility with affordability," said Richard.

Next steps in the project will be testing the new technology with students. The plan is to build enough prototypes that they can be swapped for light bulbs in an actual physics lab. Richard will help lead this work as part of his Honors program experience and will be comparing student understanding in the lab groups using light bulbs and sound bulbs.

Featured photo: (L to R) Richard Chinchihualpa, Mayumi Chinchihualpa and Professor Dean Stocker.

Peter Gemmer

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