Earpiece gives anyone super-human hearing abilities

Soundhawk is a device designed for anyone to improve their hearing in loud environments by helping them to tune into the sounds they want to hear.

Hearing loss affects a huge number of people, and not just the elderly. Those who often attend rock concerts or listen to music at a loud volume on their headphones can often lose aural dexterity, making hard to hear in certain situations. Soundhawk is a device designed for anyone to improve their hearing in loud environments by helping them to tune into the sounds they want to hear.

The system consists of two parts — an earpiece called the Scoop, and a small wireless mic. Users wear the Scoop much like a Bluetooth headset and can choose between 4 tips that affect the quality of the noises they’re hearing, from full sound to more pronounced high frequencies. The Scoop also connects to users’ smartphones, where further settings can be changed. If they’re in a car they can choose to boost the wind reduction algorithms, and if they’re in a city park they can choose to amplify the sound of the birds and block out the drone of traffic. Using the wireless mic the device can also amplify sounds coming from specific ranges, enabling diners to focus on the conversation at their table instead of the chatter around them.

Soundhawk is being marketed as a lifestyle device, rather than a hearing aid, although it remains to be seen if consumers would be happy wearing an earpiece to a social restaurant visit. However, the device can be pre-ordered for USD 279, much cheaper than the average thousand-dollar hearing aid. Will we soon see devices that aim to boost other human senses beyond their natural capabilities?