Hearing aid technology is now connecting to the Internet.
Oticon has developed the Oticon Opn, a hearing aid that connects to the Internet through the “If This Then That” network via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
“It is the world’s first hearing aid that connects to the Internet,” says Oticon.
(Credit: Oticon)
Using the Oticon ON app, the hearing aid can communicate with smoke detectors, doorbells, lights, home alarm, smart thermostat, and other smart devices.
Audio from the television can also be directly sent to the hearing aid.
The hearing aid includes two communication systems. One is used for binaural processing while another is used to connect to the app. Binaural data is sent from one ear to the other so that information is quickly sent to the brain.
(Credit: Oticon)
Aside from its features, the technology is also different compared to traditional hearing aids.
Oticon says that traditional hearing aid technology had difficulty focusing on one sound source at a time. However, the Oticon Opn is able to handle multiple sound sources quickly.
“New OpenSound Navigator™ handles multiple, dynamic speech and noise sources,” says Oticon. “Unlike conventional technology, it treats sound sources individually – without treating all other sounds as noise.”
First, the OpenSound Navigator works with Spatial Sound LX to analyze the surrounding sound to determine what is important to hear, where is it, and other characteristics. Next, the navigator balances the sounds so that users can separate them. Excessive background noise is the reduced so the user can hear more clearly.
According to Oticion, it also includes:
• 64 frequency channels for higher signal and frequency resolution
• Full environmental analysis 100+ times a second
• Capacity to handle 1,200 million operations per second
• Revolutionary TwinLink™ communication system
• 2.4 GHz for advanced connectivity
The app can be downloaded on the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Android devices.
