Presently, one in four adults worldwide struggles to understand speech in noisy surroundings, such as a crowded canteen or a lively family gathering. This difficulty often leads to missed opportunities in both social and professional aspects of life, escalating to social isolation and potentially severe health consequences, including dementia.
Augmented Hearing is at the forefront of a revolution in communication, tackling a global challenge: Enabling effortless conversations in naturally noisy environments. “The market currently lacks an effective solution for noise reduction and speech clarification in face-to-face interactions”, explains CEO Mette Carstensen. “While modern hearing aids can somewhat mitigate stationary and directional noise, their capabilities are limited.”
Augmented Hearing’s groundbreaking approach leverages the transformative power of AI in signal processing, going beyond traditional methods to clarify speech in ways previously unattainable. Their technology not only effectively eliminates background noise but also enhances phonetic contrast, making it easier for the brain to process spoken words.
Augmented Hearing team
“This innovation benefits everyone, whether they have normal hearing or are hard of hearing,” states Carstensen. “Our primary challenge lies in optimizing this technology for real-time application, ensuring the AI models are compact enough to be integrated into small-scale devices like consumer earbuds, without compromising on speed or efficiency.”
Augmented Hearing envisions a world where noisy environments no longer hinder human interaction. “Imagine stepping into a bustling bar in Madrid—or any similarly challenging sound scene—and engaging in effortless conversation. We're committed to making this a reality, eliminating the barriers that noise poses to communication. Our goal is to empower every person on the planet with the ability to communicate freely and clearly, regardless of their surroundings, thereby fostering more meaningful human connections.”
Find out more about Augmented Hearing and their work here and follow them on LinkedIn here!
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