Monthly Hub Talk: Seeing and Hearing with your Tongue

This month, we'll be learning about (and trying) the world's first open source sensory substitution/augmentation development platform: The Cthulhu Shield. This system takes various types of sensory inputs (sound, pressure, image, heat, etc) and translates them into electrode pulses that are in contact with the surface of the tongue. This sensory substitution allows your tongue to 'see' and 'hear' the environment around you.

Sensory augmentation is also possible. Since it is an open sourced Arduino platform, Cthulhu Shield lets anyone experiment and make devices that can expand the sensory experience. They have written an easy to use Arduino library that gets you started on projects including tongue-heat-vision, tongue-based GPS directions, or tongue-ultrasonic hearing.

Not only does it translate inputs to the tongue, Cthulhu also can be used as controlling device, where your tongue can send outputs to another device.  Write your own hotkey video game actions, send text messages, or control a wheelchair or mobility device with your tongue.

Suggested donation for trying the device is $5-10.

More info: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2007440405/cthulhu-shield/description

The Cthulhu Shield is being developed by Sapien LLC. Sapien was formed as a university startup and sponsors active research programs at CSU. Sapien collaborates with CSU scientists and engineers on their research and development efforts. 

Beer provided by Snowbank Brewing.