Fred Waldhauer
Encyclopedia
Frederick Donald Waldhauer (1927–1993) was an American electrical engineer known for his work in hearing aids and combining art and technology.
Waldhauer was born on December 6, 1927, and grew up in Brooklyn
, New York
, USA. He received his Bachelors degree in electrical engineering
from Cornell University
and his Masters in electrical engineering from Columbia University
.
From 1948 to 1956, he was at RCA
. From 1956 to 1987, he was a Member of Technical Staff
at Bell Telephone Laboratories
in Holmdel. He published numerous technical and scientific papers
on feedback
and high speed digital
transmission
, as well as writing a book on feedback theory
, and early transistor
design. He holds more than 14 patents.
Waldhauer became a Fellow of the IEEE in 1977, and was a long time member of the Audio Engineering Society
. In addition to his professional memberships, Mr Waldhauer was a professional engineer
in the state of New Jersey
and a patent attorney
.
Much of Waldhauer's career was focused on telephony
and digital transmission, including work on T1
carrier systems.
In Waldhauer's latter years at Bell Laboratories his efforts focused on advanced hearing aid design and technology.
After retiring from Bell Laboratories, Waldhauer continuing work on hearing aid designs at what became Resound (acquired in October 2006 by GN (Great Northern)) corporation). Waldhauer's work on programmable multi-band compression
at Bell Laboratories, and later at Resound, represented a fundamental shift in hearing aid design that still exists today.
Waldhauer, Billy Klüver
and artists Robert Rauschenberg
and Robert Whitman
collaborated in 1966 organizing 9 Evenings: Theatre and Engineering, a series of performances that united artists and engineers. The performances were held in New York City's 69th Regiment Armory, on Lexington Avenue between 25th and 26th Streets, as an homage to the original and historical 1913 Armory show. Ten artists worked with more than 30 engineers to produce art performances incorporating new technology.
, Robert Whitman
and Billy Klüver
founded Experiments in Art and Technology (EAT) a not-for-profit service organization for artists and engineers. EAT established a Technical Services Program to provide artists with technical information and assistance by matching them with engineers and scientists who can collaborate with them. While working with E.A>T> he helped create the Moon Museum
.
Waldhauer was born on December 6, 1927, and grew up in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, USA. He received his Bachelors degree in electrical engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
from Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
and his Masters in electrical engineering from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
.
From 1948 to 1956, he was at RCA
RCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
. From 1956 to 1987, he was a Member of Technical Staff
Member of Technical Staff
A Member of Technical Staff is the title for permanent research staff at some institutions and companies. It is roughly equivalent to an assistant professor or associate professor at a university or a chief technical officer in a technology startup company.A Distinguished Member of Technical...
at Bell Telephone Laboratories
Bell Labs
Bell Laboratories is the research and development subsidiary of the French-owned Alcatel-Lucent and previously of the American Telephone & Telegraph Company , half-owned through its Western Electric manufacturing subsidiary.Bell Laboratories operates its...
in Holmdel. He published numerous technical and scientific papers
on feedback
Feedback
Feedback describes the situation when output from an event or phenomenon in the past will influence an occurrence or occurrences of the same Feedback describes the situation when output from (or information about the result of) an event or phenomenon in the past will influence an occurrence or...
and high speed digital
Digital
A digital system is a data technology that uses discrete values. By contrast, non-digital systems use a continuous range of values to represent information...
transmission
Data transmission
Data transmission, digital transmission, or digital communications is the physical transfer of data over a point-to-point or point-to-multipoint communication channel. Examples of such channels are copper wires, optical fibres, wireless communication channels, and storage media...
, as well as writing a book on feedback theory
Control theory
Control theory is an interdisciplinary branch of engineering and mathematics that deals with the behavior of dynamical systems. The desired output of a system is called the reference...
, and early transistor
Transistor
A transistor is a semiconductor device used to amplify and switch electronic signals and power. It is composed of a semiconductor material with at least three terminals for connection to an external circuit. A voltage or current applied to one pair of the transistor's terminals changes the current...
design. He holds more than 14 patents.
Waldhauer became a Fellow of the IEEE in 1977, and was a long time member of the Audio Engineering Society
Audio Engineering Society
Established in 1948, the Audio Engineering Society draws its membership from amongst engineers, scientists, other individuals with an interest or involvement in the professional audio industry. The membership largely comprises engineers developing devices or products for audio, and persons working...
. In addition to his professional memberships, Mr Waldhauer was a professional engineer
Professional Engineer
Regulation of the engineering profession is established by various jurisdictions of the world to protect the safety, well-being and other interests of the general public, and to define the licensure process through which an engineer becomes authorized to provide professional services to the...
in the state of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and a patent attorney
Patent attorney
A patent attorney is an attorney who has the specialized qualifications necessary for representing clients in obtaining patents and acting in all matters and procedures relating to patent law and practice, such as filing an opposition...
.
Much of Waldhauer's career was focused on telephony
Telephony
In telecommunications, telephony encompasses the general use of equipment to provide communication over distances, specifically by connecting telephones to each other....
and digital transmission, including work on T1
Digital Signal 1
Digital signal 1 is a T-carrier signaling scheme devised by Bell Labs. DS1 is a widely used standard in telecommunications in North America and Japan to transmit voice and data between devices. E1 is used in place of T1 outside North America, Japan, and South Korea...
carrier systems.
In Waldhauer's latter years at Bell Laboratories his efforts focused on advanced hearing aid design and technology.
After retiring from Bell Laboratories, Waldhauer continuing work on hearing aid designs at what became Resound (acquired in October 2006 by GN (Great Northern)) corporation). Waldhauer's work on programmable multi-band compression
Audio level compression
Dynamic range compression, also called DRC or simply compression reduces the volume of loud sounds or amplifies quiet sounds by narrowing or "compressing" an audio signal's dynamic range...
at Bell Laboratories, and later at Resound, represented a fundamental shift in hearing aid design that still exists today.
Waldhauer, Billy Klüver
Billy Klüver
Billy Klüver Johan Wilhelm Klüver was an electrical engineer at Bell Telephone Laboratories who founded Experiments in Art and Technology. Klüver lectured extensively on art and technology and social issues to be addressed by the technical community. He published numerous articles on these subjects...
and artists Robert Rauschenberg
Robert Rauschenberg
Robert Rauschenberg was an American artist who came to prominence in the 1950s transition from Abstract Expressionism to Pop Art. Rauschenberg is well-known for his "Combines" of the 1950s, in which non-traditional materials and objects were employed in innovative combinations...
and Robert Whitman
Robert Whitman
Robert Whitman is an American artist best known for his seminal theater pieces of the early 1960s combining visual and sound images, actors, film, slides, and evocative props in environments of his own making...
collaborated in 1966 organizing 9 Evenings: Theatre and Engineering, a series of performances that united artists and engineers. The performances were held in New York City's 69th Regiment Armory, on Lexington Avenue between 25th and 26th Streets, as an homage to the original and historical 1913 Armory show. Ten artists worked with more than 30 engineers to produce art performances incorporating new technology.
Experiments in art and technology
In 1966, Waldhauer, Robert RauschenbergRobert Rauschenberg
Robert Rauschenberg was an American artist who came to prominence in the 1950s transition from Abstract Expressionism to Pop Art. Rauschenberg is well-known for his "Combines" of the 1950s, in which non-traditional materials and objects were employed in innovative combinations...
, Robert Whitman
Robert Whitman
Robert Whitman is an American artist best known for his seminal theater pieces of the early 1960s combining visual and sound images, actors, film, slides, and evocative props in environments of his own making...
and Billy Klüver
Billy Klüver
Billy Klüver Johan Wilhelm Klüver was an electrical engineer at Bell Telephone Laboratories who founded Experiments in Art and Technology. Klüver lectured extensively on art and technology and social issues to be addressed by the technical community. He published numerous articles on these subjects...
founded Experiments in Art and Technology (EAT) a not-for-profit service organization for artists and engineers. EAT established a Technical Services Program to provide artists with technical information and assistance by matching them with engineers and scientists who can collaborate with them. While working with E.A>T> he helped create the Moon Museum
Moon Museum
The Moon Museum is a small ceramic wafer three-quarters of an inch by half an inch in size, containing artworks by six prominent artists from the late 1960s...
.
Publications
- Arthur W. Lo, Richard O. Endres, Jakob Zawels, Fred D. Waldhauer, Chung-Chih Cheng Transistor Electronics, Prentice Hall Inc., 521 pages.
- Fred D. Waldhauer, Feedback, Wiley-Interscience, 651 pages, ISBN 0471053198 Description: 1982.
- Fred Waldhauer & Edgar Villchur "Full Dynamic Range Multiband Compression In a Hearing Aid", The Hearing Journal, September 1988, relates to dynamic range compression.