Mind-controlled hearing aid allows the wearer to focus on particular voices
theguardian.com
theguardian.com
I have a few people in my office whose voices I would love to tune out on a regular basis -- Screambo Braydonkey, the Exuberant Yellboy and the Tedious Lizard are some examples.
This tech works by amplifying what the wearer's mind focuses on -- could the opposite work (canceling out what the listener is focused on), or would that create a peculiar feedback loop, forcing the listener's attention to switch between different voices as they're tuned out in turn?
Then again - this would be a perfect of example of bleeding edge technology being used to "fix" a certain situation -- namely (1) toxic "open plan" office environments created by managers who (2) either have no clue or basically don't give a fuck -- whose root causes are far more mundane, and (in principle) can be treated at the source.
That is - by simply getting enough co-workers to get together and letting management know that you simply won't be having any of it.
Great!
>That is - by simply getting enough co-workers to get together and letting management know that you simply won't be having any of it.
Because no-one likes open plan offices, right?
You can show me study after study of how inefficient something might be, but your solution of gathering co-workers and talking to management presupposes that everyone is on board. That's not usually the case. Some folks may join your cause to avoid upsetting coworkers. Some may actually enjoy the setup and feel pressured to conform to their coworkers plans.
The technology solution in this case is an individual fix that doesn't affect others -- and while it may continue to allow the atrocity of open-office-planning to exist, it won't interrupt the lives of others' on a whim that everyone shares the same feelings towards something.
As a hearing-aid dispenser for over 10 years that was my biggest hurdle to get my clients to overcome.
Yu must work hard at hearing better, it is not enough to just hear more. Most people were shocked that the (expensive) device would not allow them to hear only what/who they wanted. {How could the device even what you wanted?}
Those that kept going to noisy places and kept exercising there hearing system were successful. Most gave up when faced with the reality that they needed to work harder.
Technology like is discussed in the OP would be revolutionary.
I damaged my hearing years ago (operating a stump grinder without protection. Doh!) I can hear things perfectly well in most environments, but a crowded room is terrible for me. I can be looking right at the person I'm talking to and won't be able to distinguish their voice from the background noise.
I really hope these become widely commercialized. I'd like one.
I'm in the same boat. Too many Motorhead gigs in the 80's have taken their toll :). I can hear a pin drop in my house, but as soon as I'm in an environment with background noise - a pub, a busy street or even a restaurant (though I think restaurants may be problem for many folks[0]) - I find it difficult to hear people speaking to me. Semi-jokingly, I've often thought about taking up a pal's suggestion that I should give in and get myself an ear-trumpet :)
And also only if you are happy to hand a clip-on mic for a friend to wear.
"The current version of the hearing aid, which involved direct implants into the brain, would be unsuitable for mainstream use"
I warn against using devices to make it easier to hear - when you have no hearing loss - as it could make your hearing system "lazy".
Just like physiotherapists now advise against overuse of knee and neck braces. Better to strengthen the muscles needed to do the function rather than supplement with an aid.
One of the biggest advantages of German tanks in WWII, was the excellent communications system. It was engineered so that all members of the crew could clearly hear instructions in battlefield conditions.
Technology which can improve communication and perception and also protect hearing in battlefield conditions always has military applications.
Is it possible to have an above average hearing with this?
You can already buy consumer electronic hearing protection devices which can allow you to hear quieter sounds than otherwise, while protecting you from loud transients.
But people won't do it because it looks like you're disabled.
But once enough people do it, it'll no longer look that way and be cool like sunglasses. But they are not. So we don't.
Strange world.
BTW: the live listen on Apple devices is a nice feature but it nowhere near being a hearing aid.
I have no doubt the suggested brain-powered hearing aids will be much better but models like Oticon's OPN have smart directionality and localisation features for picking out specifics in noise. Most models also allow you to control the direction of sound enhancement to improve things further - by default most will use a 360 degree, or at least 270 degree field of listening but with an app you can change them to have a very narrow field and target specifically the person directly in front of you.
I have a severe hearing loss and wear GN ReSound LiNX Quattro in both ears, without them I cannot hear anything useful, i.e. I hear no voice even when someone is directly in front of me and no background noise. With them I can hold a conversation in a fairly noisy pub, its hard work to listen in noise but they do an amazing job for me. Technology has moved way past the old analogue amplification that really did just make everything louder.
What you describe doesn't sound anything like what the person you were responding to was describing. It sounds like you're saying
> I can't hear anything, but the hearing aid makes it so I can hear things AND distinguish voices from background noise.
which is totally different from
> I can hear everything around me just fine. I have problems distinguishing a single sound stream (voice) from all the other noise going on.
Personally, I can be watching TV in one room just fine, my wife turns the dishwasher on in another room, and I can't understand anything on the TV anymore.
My point really was a general one, that i felt the article was underplaying the capabilities of today's hearing aid technology.