Imagine being able to hear someone clearly in a crowded room or busy street just by looking at them or sleeping in total silence, even in the city. That reality is not far off, thanks to the invention of AI-controlled noise-canceling headphones that researchers from the University of Washington recently started to develop. The benefits of this technology are far-reaching, and it can be especially helpful for people with hearing trouble.
How Do AI Headphones Work?
Researchers at the University of Washington took an ordinary pair of noise-canceling headphones, which can be good for reducing noise but quiet the sound indiscriminately so they can’t help you hear a specific sound better. However, when they connected the AI by adding one mic to each earpiece, it was able to identify a single sound when the user looked at it and pressed a button for several seconds, whether it be a person’s voice or another sound, and single it out, removing all other noise, which allows the target sound to come through clearly.
Are AI Headphones Effective?
AI headphones can be extremely effective at isolating a person’s voice, allowing only that sound to make it to the listener’s ears. There is a 16-degree margin of error, and users will need to press the button for 3 – 5 seconds for the AI to determine what sound the user wants. However, once it determines what sound you want to hear, it can remove all other noise in as little as 18.24 milliseconds, which is about 20 times faster than the blink of an eye.
Real-World Applications
This technology can help improve hearing aid devices, which usually work by turning up the general volume and bursting certain frequencies, which can still leave many sounds unclear to the user and may even lead to fatigue. It’s also a great technology for people who work in loud environments but still need to communicate with others around them, like at a construction yard, airport, or dance club.
Other Uses
- Conferences and Meetings
- Public Transport
- Daily Commutes and Leisure
- Sleep
Future Developments
The potential for this technology is vast, and we are likely to see even more refined sound isolation capabilities, improved battery life, and integration with other smart devices in the next few years. When you combine it with AI’s ability to translate languages in real-time, it will soon start to be a lot easier to communicate with those around you, no matter where you are.