Executive Summary
Worldwide, an estimated 700 million people will experience a
disabling level of hearing loss by 2050 (World Health Organization,
2026). Traditionally, doorbells notify users through sound. As such,
this becomes an obstacle for those who are unable to hear. A
multitude of generalized smart doorbells solve half of the problem;
for example, Ring doorbells propose a way to notify users without
sound, but it requires the Ring application (Ring, 2026). This
alienates users who do not want app-based systems, are less
comfortable with smartphones, or do not want to constantly check
notifications.
Despite the prevalence of hearing loss in the population
as a whole, the number of different assistive doorbell designs for
the hard of hearing or deaf remains minuscule. Current
commercialized versions aiming to confront the problem of hearing
problems utilize a light-emitting diode (LED) receiver that flashes
brightly whenever the doorbell is activated (ADCO Hearing Products,
2026). This means that if the user is asleep, in another room,
outside, or simply not facing the receiver, the alert may be missed.
Some studies, such as one by Paidi et al. in 2022, have
suggested the use of a wearable device equipped with LEDs in order
to make it more likely to be seen by the user, but current
prototypes are bulky and get in the way of daily movement, as well
as still may fail to alert someone if they are not looking at it. As
such, the proposed device will aim to improve on these shortcomings,
allowing for users to have an easier time knowing when a doorbell is
pressed.
Problem Statement
Individuals with hearing impairments are often unable to react when a doorbell is rung because these systems usually rely on auditory cues. This prevents the individual from being able to respond quickly if someone is there (The Bellman Team, 2026).
CAD Photos
