Among the robots, big screens and fast computers of Japan’s Ceatec electronics show, a small prototype being shown off by Fujitsu is probably one of the lowest-tech gadgets on the show floor, but it could be one of the most important.

The Ontenna is a small gadget intended to be worn in the hair that translates sound into vibrations. The technology is similar to the kinds of things children make with electronics kits: A microphone connected to an amplifier connected to a motor.

But in the hair-clip-style form factor, it can help deaf people understand more about the world around them, said Shinji Kanda, who works in Fujitsu’s Robotics Advancement Office.

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