A museum in the shape of a human face is coming up at the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH) here.

Reckoned to be one of a kind, the museum has been proposed at a cost of ₹5.21 crore to spread awareness on vocal and auditory functions, besides pathological/ dysfunctional conditions, and preventive measures.

AIISH Director Dr. S.R. Savitri told The Hindu that the institute has got the status of Centre of Excellence (COE) from the Union government; and the museum will give an overview of speech and hearing, and the problems affecting communication.

It is also planned to introduce a section on the contribution of ancient India in the field of phonetics, linguistics etc., a note from the institute said.

The basement of the museum representing the neck of a human being will have three floors each with a mezzanine. The floor, walls, and ceiling will have interactive display systems.

The museum has been planned in such a way that visitors feel as if they are entering through the brain and coming out of the lungs, larynx and the oral tract, experiencing how speech is produced, and language is encoded and decoded.

Likewise, visitors will get the feeling of entering the ear system and getting into various parts of the human ear to reach the brain, in order to learn how one listens and understands. The floor of the museum will be fitted with sensors which will lead to the central nervous system through various cranial nerves. When one touches the sensor of a particular nerve end, the sensor will glow showing the path leading to the end of the nerve, the institute’s note said.

The ceiling will have an audio-visual display showing the functions of brain. There will also be posters or large screen projections that are colourful and informative, according to the institute.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Shankar Bennur / Mysuru – July 20th, 2018