Committed to researching new concepts The Engine Institute, Inc., fosters innovations to benefit society and culture. By advancing our programs The Engine helps nascent ventures grow and by working to increase awareness of the intersection of the arts, technology and sciences Entanglement magazine covers how this is a catalyst that is impacting society not only today but in our near future.
The Engine Institute’s programs operate along three sectors: Community Support, Education and Public Awareness.
Community Support:
Developing a safer fire alarm for the visually impaired: Commonly used fire alarms are dangerously confusing for the visually impaired because it interferes with other important directional sounds that help them navigate, particularly in emergency situations. The Engine Institute is developing an acoustically safer alarm system that can be implemented anywhere the visually challenged may be. On-line open source hearing health applications: The Engine Institute is working in collaboration with auditory neuroscientists, sound designers and web developers to creating an on-line hearing health screening and treatment program for tinnitus. This program will not only allow participants to engage in research that will benefit themselves, but will provide experience for citizen scientists to help their community.
Education:
The Engine is working in collaboration with NASA/Rhode Island Space Grant to create a movie on sound and its impact on human perception on Earth and beyond for K-12 students. In addition, The Engine is working with Foxfire Interactive on an upcoming 3D IMAX film on sound titled “Just Listen”. The Engine Institute in collaboration with the Brown University Planetary Data Center is implementing 3D printers to create a physical reference library of tactile terrain maps, models of comets and asteroids as well as customized models for research or educational projects and for outreach to educational centers in New England like the Perkins School for the Blind in MA.
Public Awareness
Through exhibitions, the Firefly Festival, the Gear Artists program and our online magazine Entanglement The Engine Institute, Inc., works to increase awareness of the cross fertilization of arts, science and technology and how it stimulates innovation.