UTC Newsroom: The Wearable Voice Modulation Aid
This is a reupload of a news article published on UTC.edu. View the original article here.
Researcher: Megan Cales, Coordinator of Career Engagement, Gary W. Rollins College of Business. The project was developed independently. Cales is also the founder and CEO of Sensory Bridges, LLC.
It started with a question at the Thanksgiving table. Megan Cales was watching her partner’s 5-year-old son, who is autistic, struggle to control his voice in a room full of family and noise. She searched for a solution online but couldn’t find anything discreet, wearable and designed with kids in mind.
So she built it.
The Brooks Band is a wearable wristband that vibrates when a child’s voice exceeds a preset threshold. A companion app allows caregivers to customize feedback settings and track progress, helping neurodiverse children self-regulate without stigma or interruption.
“A lot of kids just need a gentle cue to help with voice control—especially when they’re excited or overwhelmed,” Cales said. “This gives them that support without interrupting or calling them out.”
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Scenic Roots: The Brooks Band
“We wasted no time getting started. I’ve been thrown into the deep end of entrepreneurship and am learning more and more every day,” Cales said. Currently, Brooks Band is in the prototype phase.