AI-Powered ‘Superpower’ Glasses: Scientists in Scotland are creating innovative “hearing glasses” that use artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the clarity of conversations for hearing aid users in real time.
The prototype, developed by researchers at Heriot-Watt University in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh, Napier University, and the University of Stirling, integrates lip-reading technology, AI, and cloud computing to isolate and enhance a speaker’s voice.
The smart glasses feature a camera that captures dialogue and uses visual cues to identify the primary speaker. The audio is sent via the wearer’s smartphone to a cloud server, located as far away as Sweden, which removes background noise and isolates the speaker’s voice.
The processed audio is then transmitted back to the user’s hearing aid almost instantly, delivering a clearer sound experience.
“We’re not trying to reinvent hearing aids. We’re trying to give them superpowers,” said Professor Mathini Sellathurai, project leader at Heriot-Watt University.
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“You simply point the camera or look at the person you want to hear. Even if two people are talking at once, the AI uses visual cues to extract the voice of the person you’re looking at.”
The technology addresses a key challenge for the 1.2 million UK adults who struggle with conversations due to hearing loss, as reported by the Royal National Institute for Deaf People.
Current noise-cancelling features in hearing aids often fail to handle overlapping voices or complex background noise. By leveraging powerful cloud-based AI, the glasses process audio efficiently while remaining lightweight and wearable.
The research team aims to have a functional prototype by 2026 and is already in discussions with hearing aid manufacturers to reduce costs and broaden accessibility.
The project represents a significant step toward enhancing the quality of life for those with hearing impairments, offering a novel solution to improve communication in noisy environments.
This article is based on a report published by Sky News on August 11, 2025. Read the original at Sky News. Additional context was drawn from posts on X discussing advancements in assistive technology.
