| Prof. Bill Behrman | |
| E-mail: | behrman@stanford.edu |
| Telephone: | 725-1200 |
| Office: | 297 Terman Engineering Center |
| Office Hours: | By appointment |
An estimated 28 million Americans suffer from hearing loss, and for decades hearing aids have reached only about 20% of those who could benefit from them. Typical prices for one hearing aid range from $1,500 - $2,500, and this expense is typically not covered by Medicare or most insurance plans. Worldwide, an estimated 250 million people suffer from hearing loss, and in the developing world hearing aids reach a very small percentage of those who could benefit from them. The mission of the Lions Affordable Hearing Aid Project (LAHAP) is "to alleviate the burden of hearing impairment in as large a population as possible, regardless of the recipients' ability to pay." The LAHAP plans to design, manufacture, and distribute affordable, high-quality, digital hearing aids in both the U.S. and the developing world.
The Social Entrepreneurship Startup (SES) will provide research and design work to help the LAHAP scale up and expand its reach. It will initially focus upon the San Francisco Bay Area market. The SES will consist of an undergraduate team and an MBA team working together. The teams will use the Stanford methodology for design innovation. They will talk to a range of people with hearing loss to gain a deep understanding and empathy for them. They will talk with audiologists, hearing aid dispensers, and hearing aid executives to understand current distribution methods and business models. They will study digital aids themselves and the best practices for fitting them, especially their programming and the making of ear molds. Based upon their findings, the teams will explore possible solutions for the LAHAP using the methodology of discovery-driven planning. With the guidance and feedback of a group of expert advisers, the teams will test and iteratively improve their proposed solutions. They will ultimately provide the LAHAP with design recommendations for its next generation of digital aids and the fitting experience. They will also provide recommendations for the distribution methods, business model, and business plan.
Students are selected based upon an application.
Readings will be in distributed at team meetings.
Macromedia Contribute will be the Web collaboration software.
None.
| Date | Presentation |
|---|---|
| Wed, Apr 21, 7-9 PM | Design Review 1 |
| Wed, May 12, 7-9 PM | Design Review 2 |
| Thu, Jun 3, 7-9 PM | Final Presentation |
Students will learn a process for design innovation and skills to help them succeed. Students will be evaluated on how well they learn and apply this process and these skills as seen through their contributions in team meetings, and through the quality of their research, design work, writing, and presentations.
| Component | % Time | % Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Team participation, facilitation, and presentations | 20 | 40 |
| Research, design work, and writing | 80 | 60 |
| --- | --- | |
| 100 | 100 |
The real measure of the team's success -- much more important than grades -- will be the measure of the beneficial impact they have.
Last modified: 2004 Apr 17