6 ms·

Mind-controlled hearing aid allows the wearer to focus on particular voices

111 points by drugme 7y ago

Yuioup 7y ago
This would be a game-changer for me if this works well.
sdrothrock 7y ago
I wonder if an equivalent technology for cochlear implant users is in the works...
stonewhite 7y ago
I always wonder if hearing aid has military applications, or for non-hearing-disabled people. Is it possible to have an above average hearing with this?
- miki123211 7y ago
  the tech originally developed and used for hearing aids is now also used in jawbone headphones. They're not exactly hearing aids themselves, but they work the same way.
- haspoken 7y ago
  TCAPS -- Tactical Communications And Protective System
- jrace 7y ago
  Hearing aid technology is used in milatary and police aplpications, mostly as small discrete communication devices. 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.
- stcredzero 7y ago
  I always wonder if hearing aid has military applications 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.
aaron695 7y ago
Hearing enhancement for everyone is easy with current tech. 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.
- saagarjha 7y ago
  Counterpoint: AirPods are pretty “cool” and can serve as assistive hearing aids through Live Listen.
  - throwitaway9 7y ago
    Its very interesting that people are prepared to wear "cool" AirPods but still shy away from hearing aids because they don't want to look old or disabled. Hearing aid manufacturers are starting to catch on and market aids more as lifestyle accessories rather than medical devices that fix a disability, which will help a lot. Also, aids are much smaller and sleeker now, they look pretty cool, the tide will turn eventually and more people will start to accept them - i'm not sure they will become as cool as glasses but they'll at least become acceptable. BTW: the live listen on Apple devices is a nice feature but it nowhere near being a hearing aid.
  - devin 7y ago
    I had no idea this was possible. Thanks, will give it a try.
- pjc50 7y ago
  Highly unlikely, given that people don't gratuitously wear prescription sunglasses. And speaking as a hearing aid user, the problem is exactly that of the article: making things louder only helps when you're listening to a single person in fairly good background conditions. Actually selecting and amplifying a particular voice is much harder.
  - throwitaway9 7y ago
    I don't agree and I think the original article severely underestimated top-end hearing aid technology. Newer hearing aids from top manufacturers like GN, Oticon and Phonak do a very good job of isolating a particular voice in noise - sure its still far from perfect but it light-years ahead of "making all things louder". 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.
hmd_imputer 7y ago
I see a great potential for the people suffering from Misophonia
RickJWagner 7y ago
Amazing, and I need one of these! 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.
- teh_klev 7y ago
  > but a crowded room is terrible for me. 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 :) [0]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17629497 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17629497
- throwitaway9 7y ago
  A bluetooth-enabled hearing aid and a remote microphone would work well in this situation but only if there is one speaker to listen to as aids currently can only stream from one remote mic at a time. And also only if you are happy to hand a clip-on mic for a friend to wear.
wprapido 7y ago
Inclusive of voices in one's head?
DonHopkins 7y ago
In Soviet Russia, hearing aid controls your mind.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
btbuildem 7y ago
Making it work as a selective sound cancellation device would be amazing in open office environments. 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?
- drugme 7y ago
  Making it work as a selective sound cancellation device would be amazing in open office environments. 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.
  - serf 7y ago
    >Then again - this would be a perfect of example of bleeding edge technology being used to "fix" a certain situation 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.
modzu 7y ago
before yall get too ahead of yourselves: "The current version of the hearing aid, which involved direct implants into the brain, would be unsuitable for mainstream use"
jrace 7y ago
>“One of the reasons people struggle is that they often wait a long time before getting a hearing aid and in that time the brain forgets how to filter out the noise and focus on the speech,” she said. “This is really interesting research and I’d love to see the real world impacts of it.”< 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.
theclaw 7y ago
I don’t understand. I thought the brain does the isolation of single voices from an audio stream, not the ear drum.
stcredzero 7y ago
I would like a device which can reliably only record my own voice. This would allow one to create a verbal record of what is happening in emergencies, which could be very useful if combined with a video record. Also, such a device could simply remain on all the time. Only recording one's own voice would allow continual use of the device in two party recording consent states.

111 points by drugme 7y ago

Yuioup 7y ago

This would be a game-changer for me if this works well.

sdrothrock 7y ago

I wonder if an equivalent technology for cochlear implant users is in the works...

stonewhite 7y ago

I always wonder if hearing aid has military applications, or for non-hearing-disabled people. Is it possible to have an above average hearing with this?

miki123211 7y ago
the tech originally developed and used for hearing aids is now also used in jawbone headphones. They're not exactly hearing aids themselves, but they work the same way.
haspoken 7y ago
TCAPS -- Tactical Communications And Protective System
jrace 7y ago
Hearing aid technology is used in milatary and police aplpications, mostly as small discrete communication devices. 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.
stcredzero 7y ago
I always wonder if hearing aid has military applications 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.

aaron695 7y ago

Hearing enhancement for everyone is easy with current tech. 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.

saagarjha 7y ago
Counterpoint: AirPods are pretty “cool” and can serve as assistive hearing aids through Live Listen.
- throwitaway9 7y ago
  Its very interesting that people are prepared to wear "cool" AirPods but still shy away from hearing aids because they don't want to look old or disabled. Hearing aid manufacturers are starting to catch on and market aids more as lifestyle accessories rather than medical devices that fix a disability, which will help a lot. Also, aids are much smaller and sleeker now, they look pretty cool, the tide will turn eventually and more people will start to accept them - i'm not sure they will become as cool as glasses but they'll at least become acceptable. BTW: the live listen on Apple devices is a nice feature but it nowhere near being a hearing aid.
- devin 7y ago
  I had no idea this was possible. Thanks, will give it a try.
pjc50 7y ago
Highly unlikely, given that people don't gratuitously wear prescription sunglasses. And speaking as a hearing aid user, the problem is exactly that of the article: making things louder only helps when you're listening to a single person in fairly good background conditions. Actually selecting and amplifying a particular voice is much harder.
- throwitaway9 7y ago
  I don't agree and I think the original article severely underestimated top-end hearing aid technology. Newer hearing aids from top manufacturers like GN, Oticon and Phonak do a very good job of isolating a particular voice in noise - sure its still far from perfect but it light-years ahead of "making all things louder". 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.

hmd_imputer 7y ago

I see a great potential for the people suffering from Misophonia

RickJWagner 7y ago

Amazing, and I need one of these! 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.

teh_klev 7y ago
> but a crowded room is terrible for me. 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 :) [0]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17629497 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17629497
throwitaway9 7y ago
A bluetooth-enabled hearing aid and a remote microphone would work well in this situation but only if there is one speaker to listen to as aids currently can only stream from one remote mic at a time. And also only if you are happy to hand a clip-on mic for a friend to wear.

wprapido 7y ago

Inclusive of voices in one's head?

DonHopkins 7y ago

In Soviet Russia, hearing aid controls your mind.

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

btbuildem 7y ago

Making it work as a selective sound cancellation device would be amazing in open office environments. 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?

drugme 7y ago
Making it work as a selective sound cancellation device would be amazing in open office environments. 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.
- serf 7y ago
  >Then again - this would be a perfect of example of bleeding edge technology being used to "fix" a certain situation 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.

modzu 7y ago

before yall get too ahead of yourselves: "The current version of the hearing aid, which involved direct implants into the brain, would be unsuitable for mainstream use"

jrace 7y ago

>“One of the reasons people struggle is that they often wait a long time before getting a hearing aid and in that time the brain forgets how to filter out the noise and focus on the speech,” she said. “This is really interesting research and I’d love to see the real world impacts of it.”< 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.

theclaw 7y ago

I don’t understand. I thought the brain does the isolation of single voices from an audio stream, not the ear drum.

stcredzero 7y ago

I would like a device which can reliably only record my own voice. This would allow one to create a verbal record of what is happening in emergencies, which could be very useful if combined with a video record. Also, such a device could simply remain on all the time. Only recording one's own voice would allow continual use of the device in two party recording consent states.