Posted on 07/02/2014 7:46:09 PM PDT by null and void
Imagine you’re out for a jog or riding on the bus. For some this is an opportune time to pop in their earbuds and listen to some music or listen to a good book, but sometimes those earbuds fall out because they don’t fit your ear perfectly, especially if you’re on the move. This can be quite frustrating.
A San Diego start-up company called OwnPhones has discovered a solution—3D-printed tailored earbuds.
How do they work?
Get a friend to take a close-up picture of your ear using the iOS app (an app is not yet available for Android), and upload your ear picture via app to the OwnPhones server where it’s converted into a 3D model and then printed using 3D-printing technology.
The earbuds use Bluetooth 4.0 technology so they’re completely wireless and can be customized in a variety of ways. For example, you can select your colors, style, and materials, which can be customized to be more rugged if you need the earbuds for more strenuous activities, but you can also create your own version of selective hearing.
Using the app, you can control whether you want to shut out external sounds and allow just “Real World Notifications,” such as transportation announcements, phone calls, or doorbells. You can even blend outside sounds with whatever you’re listening to.
You can even use an OwnStatus LED- a light system that tells others that you’re busy. This works almost like a traffic light (red indicates busy and green let’s people know it’s acceptable to approach).
Watch this quick teaser video to see what these headphones are all about.
[video at source]
OwnPhone’s Kickstarter campaign goes live in July so you’ll be able to get some more pricing information then.
/johnny
Want.
I think I’d prefer one I can remove when it’s hacked.
Got anything to shut the ex’s pie hole?
/johnny
Plenty of market potential.
Get a bigger improved version, call C.O.P.S. and link it here so we can watch the fun.
I honestly can’t see how an external image can create a 3D model of the inner ear canal. There are scores of companies making custom-molded earbuds now, all using self-hardening goop that is poured into your ear canal. Those obviously create a perfect fit throughout the ear.
I still get tricked by people talking while alone.
But nothing showing on kickstarter.
Not so much. Depends a lot on the skill of the technician. I've worn HA for years/decades, and I've had to go back more than once to get a second impression.
Biggest problem is that they don't push the foam "plug" deeply enough in the ear canal, so the earpiece doesn't form a "sound-tight" seal, and of course there is the safety issue of poking something in your ear (ruptured eardrum).
This is a completely non-contact/safe method of getting the surface shape accurately.
Of course, "earbuds" are a far larger market, but the HA market is not tiny. Of course, the HA vendors will make a much fancier camera/data collection system, and charge an arm and leg for it, but........
and no price listed.
My first good pair of earbuds were Ultimate Ears. Fantastic sound, especially after using the crummy, early, hard Apple buds. I’ve tried about 7 brands of “universal” ear buds lately, but they all pop out of my ears. I tried Sennheiser with an over-the-head band, but my ball caps won’t fit over them when I’m hiking. I’m planning on trying custom-molded next, maybe even having an audiologist fit new UEs. I was researching Westone yesterday and they seem to have good reviews, too.
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