Today’s Solutions: November 02, 2024

Although hearing aids can be helpful at improving auditory sensations in people with hearing problems, most of these devices use a tiny speaker that channels sound down the ear canal — this often means that the technology tends to amplify all sounds, including gusts of wind that may blow into the ear. The “alpha” hearing aid, on the other hand, works differently — and reportedly better — with the speaker actually sitting directly against the wearer’s eardrum.

The device, described as a “hearing contact lens,” is being manufactured by German startup Virbosonic, and incorporates technology developed by researchers at the University of Tübingen and the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation.

The device consists of two main components, one of which sits on the outside of the ear and the other one is internal. The external part of the setup is a battery-equipped signal-processing module that is worn behind the ear. It is hard-wired to the smaller part of the device which sits inside the ear canal. That component is in turn connected to the piezoelectric micro-loudspeaker, which is placed against the eardrum.

As explained by New Atlas, when the system’s microphone picks up external noises, they’re relayed to that tiny speaker, which vibrates the eardrum accordingly. According to Vibrosonic, because the transmitted sounds don’t have to go through an air gap within the ear canal, there’s less room for distortion and less interference with wind noise blowing into the ear.

Solutions News Source Print this article
More of Today's Solutions

This heartwarming Danish ad breaks down the ‘Us vs Them’ narrative

It’s rare that we publish a story about an advertisement, but then again it’s rare that an ad stirs so much emotion within its ...

Read More

NOAHs: Charlotte has a formula for long-lasting affordable housing

We recently shared how empty retail space could be the solution to California’s affordable housing crisis. Across the country in North Carolina, the city ...

Read More

A seat at the table for underrepresented communities

Climate change is already affecting all of us—however, those that bear the brunt of these consequences are predominantly from low-income, marginalized, BIPOC communities. So ...

Read More

Expanding democracy: Michigan opens new doors for formerly incarcerated voters

Malijah Gee's path from incarceration at the age of 17 to imminent freedom reflects the longing for a voice that has been suppressed for 36 years. ...

Read More