Aid ‘not for baby’

Press, 16 September 1976, Page 6

Aid ‘not for baby’

The British scientist who was able to let a “baby see through its ears” did not have sufficient technology to use the sensor device correctly,” said Professor Leslie Kay, of the University of Canterbury electrical engineering department.

He developed the sensor device used by the Englishman, Dr Tom Bower. Professor Kay was commenting on yesterday’s report in “The Press” on Dr Bowers’ work.

“We are the only research organisation in the world that has the appropriate technology,” Professor Kay said. He was talking about the technology needed to fit babies with his sensor device, which “was originally designed as a mobility aid for adults.”

The story was reprinted in “The Press” from the London

“Sunday Times,” and was written by David Dugan. In it Dugan describes an ultrasonic scanner which sends out sound pulses, which enabled the baby to hear stereophonic echoes of what was in front of him. Dr Bower had the adult sensor modified, for use by a baby, by an engineer called Matt Mahgoun who, Professor Kay said, did not know enough about the needs of a child to do the job properly.

“I don’t believe that the adult aid can be modified for a child only a few weeks old. It has to be specially designed with the right characteristics, which is what we have been doing at Canterbury.

“Our programme started in Canterbury before Dr Bower started working in America. His child was badly fitted and the aid was very floppy on its

'head. In general, it was poorly engineered for that kind of use,” Professor Kay said.

Dugan said in the “Sunday Times” story that the sensor was developed in Oakland, California, by Professor Harry Kaye. This professor did not exist, said Professor Kay, who was at Oakland, on a Golden Kiwi grant, working with his sensor. The nonexistent professor was probably himself.

Professor Kay is using specially designed sensors on blind children, and he is getting positive results. He was pleased that his device was being used elsewhere, as it showed that it had been accepted as valid scientific work.

But he did not like seeing an aid used which was not properly suited to the child who had to learn to use it.