Tom Chau

Giving voice to the voiceless

Dr. Tom Chau, professor and pediatric rehabilitation engineer at the University of Toronto, has developed pioneering access technologies to help individuals who have no voice overcome communication obstacles. Working with a multidisciplinary team, Dr. Chau has examined how hemodynamic signal features and facial thermography can be employed in emerging methods of electrical engineering and machine learning. The result is a range of personalized, life-changing assistive technologies that give voice to the voiceless. From virtual musical instruments and vocal cord transmitters to an ultrasonic brain-computer interface, these innovations have had a profound impact on families, caregivers and health care providers by boldly reimagining the way we communicate.

For more information: University of Toronto

* Tom Chau is a 2018 winner of the Governor General’s Innovation Awards.