bone
Allowing the hearing-impaired community to enjoy music
Over 466 million people in the world suffer from disabling hearing loss (with that number estimated to grow to 900 million by 2050). Furthermore, 60% of childhood hearing loss cases are due to preventable causes. This begs the question - how can those who suffer from hearing loss share similar experiences to what non-deaf individuals experience (without an obvious accessory such as a hearing aid)?
What is the "Sense" range?
People need products they can relate to, products that play a vital role in their life, products that consider human emotions. "Sense" is a collection of products which focus on making technology less intimidating. It uses relatable design via form, colours, materials and finishes to achieve this. The products are viewed as a human companion rather than a tech attachment. The aim is not to create new devices, but to design the products that have been missing from people's lives.
Bone conduction technology sends signals directly to the inner ear rather than passing through the outer/mid ear
Initial concept ideas for bone induction headphones
Rapid prototyping to test proportions on a range of different human head shapes and analysing the results
Internal components of bone conduction headphones
Detail of wireless charge coil and induction coil
4 different colours for the natural hair types - black, blonde, dark brown and light brown
Prototyping of Bone headphones
Gloss finish used to reflect hair when in use. This allows an almost camoflague aesthetic when worn by user
The proprietary charger which charges the headphones via wireless charging
Charger seamlessly integrates into headphone design
Demonstration of how the headphones are virtually unnoticeable when worn. A contrast to hearing aids (which cannot play music), and overear-headphones
There are 2 types of conductive hearing loss – mid ear and outer ear. Fortunately, the inner ear works fine but sound from the outside world has difficulty entering. Therefore, bone conduction technology allows sound to send vibrations through the skull so sound can directly travel to the inner ear – bypassing the need to travel via the outer and mid ear. “Bone” is extremely intuitive and can be used by anyone. It works in a similar way to standard wireless headphones and includes the following features;
- Connect to devices via Bluetooth.
- Touch sensitive playback controls.
- Wireless charging.
The main difference is that it sits behind the ear rather than on it. This means that the actual product itself is completely hidden from front view. From the side, it looks like a standard thin hairband (which can be covered by hair.) This means it would not look out of place when used.
Acknowledgements: Ideation (Castleton, C), Photography & Videography (Cate Castleton Photography)
Date: November 2020
