Why (and how) we created new audio products for hearing impaired persons Music to my brother’s...
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Why (and how) we created new audio products
for hearing impaired persons
Music to my brother’s ears
1Company Confidential Bowen Innovation Consultants, Ltd. © 2009
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Introduction
2
Prepared for
Positive Lifestyles Panel (Friesen Conference 23 April 2009)
ByMorley Lipsett (semi-retired)
SFU Centre for Policy Research on Science and Technologyand
Earl Lipsett (retired musician/educator)
With inspiration from
Naftaly Ramrajkar (Product developer, audiophile & sage)
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My brother (and his ears)
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Meet the guy that introduced
me to classical music
65 years ago
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Predicament
& the germ of an idea • My visit to Edmonton• Aging ears – and in a
hospital• What, no iPod?• How hearing loss
became a virtue
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My ‘cool’ gear (on the plane)
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Meanwhile at the hospital
Physical discomfortNo tvNo CDsNo audio-visual
enjoyment availableMy iPod unsuited to
Earl’s ears, with or without hearing aid.
So I went shopping for a remedy. –None existed!
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And this begins our story -
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Disconnects
Company Confidential - Bowen Innovation Consultants, Ltd. © 20098
Hearing aid culture
InvisibilityLow power/tiny batteryNot mp3-friendlyLimited dynamic range
tiny transducerslow voltage
Annoying to wear; easy to misplace
Associated with ageism
iPod cultureCoolVisible & fashionableSuperb sound quality
for ‘normal hearing’Music, music, musicTrendy earphones
Butneglects personal
hearing deficits
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Not enjoyed (yet) by persons with hearing
loss
Company Confidential - Bowen Innovation Consultants, Ltd. © 20099
Such asRock MusiciansAge related
(Boomers)PilotsOccupational
damageSlow degradation
over timeMost everyone, sooner or later
In factMost people don’t
know what they’ve been missing
They just gradually got used to
less brilliancelack of localizationreduced claritymuffled sounds
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Hearing acuity
Often assumedNot normally measured until deafness is
suspected
Frequently a matter of opinion rather than accurately
assessed.
Company Confidential - Bowen Innovation Consultants, Ltd. © 200910
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Yet audiograms are like eye exams
Company Confidential - Bowen Innovation Consultants, Ltd. © 200911
Person with hearing loss
Person with ‘normal’ hearing
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So we set out To match the sounds of the world
To Earl’s hearing spectrum
Company Confidential - Bowen Innovation Consultants, Ltd. © 200912
By using musician-quality equipment.
(i.e. audiophile, hi-fidelity, studio-quality stuff)
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Technical objectives
Company Confidential - Bowen Innovation Consultants, Ltd. © 200913
Restore audiophile listening experience
i.e. beyond today’s youthFor recorded performances
andLive events
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How we did it (eventually)
Implementation
1. Developed a special, prototype interface device to precisely compensate (SpectraPhonics Normalizer technology)
2. Fed studio quality earphones/headphones (as used by artists and audiophiles)
Company Confidential - Bowen Innovation Consultants, Ltd. © 200914
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Obvious, perhaps, but unavailable
Company Confidential - Bowen Innovation Consultants, Ltd. © 200915
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Demo
Company Confidential - Bowen Innovation Consultants, Ltd. (c) 200916
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We got it to work!
At first with
headphones
and CD’s
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Company Confidential - Bowen Innovation Consultants, Ltd. (c) 200918
Then with
mics, re
ady for
rehearsals
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Company Confidential - Bowen Innovation Consultants, Ltd. (c) 200919
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Resulting experience (field trials)
Company Confidential - Bowen Innovation Consultants, Ltd. © 200920
Like putting on glasses and seeing clearly - again.
20/20 listeningThrilling!
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Technology & Gerontology
Today’s media - MP3/Video players, video games, downloaded content, and live performances rely on hearing.
Yet hearing profile (loss) has been and continues to be neglected by these marketsExcept for hearing aidsWhich are marketed as if for the infirm, the old, the
defective.
Company Confidential - Bowen Innovation Consultants, Ltd. (c) 200921
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Our ‘positive lifestyles’ vision
to make it cool to be custom fitted for ‘ear glasses’.
Let’s enjoy 20/20 listening; Let’s redefine ‘normal’!
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Any questions?
Does anybody here care to get involved in this work?
23
We wish to thank all of
you, and a special
thanks to the
conference organizers
...M & E