AI-powered headphones for private conversations even in the most crowded places - Yanko Design

"We've come a long way when it comes to noise isolation used in headphones and earbuds. The Active Noise Cancellation technology employed in current-generation audio accessories has reached a level that allows for adaptive ANC levels depending on the ambient noise environment. A handful of brands even go the distance to implement turning on transparency mode automatically when someone is talking to you. That's a novelty, but still, you'll hear the voices of other people in the vicinity if you are in a crowded environment."

"That could change with an innovation that aims to eliminate any unwanted voices in the conversation. For instance, when you are talking to your pal on the street, you'll only hear his voice, and all the other voices of people will be muted out. This innovation will not be helpful as a daily driver, but it will assist people with hearing impairments in hearing better."

Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation in current headphones allows automatic adjustment to ambient noise and some devices enable automatic transparency when someone speaks. An innovation called the proactive hearing assistant isolates a conversation partner's voice while suppressing other voices, enabling users to hear only the person they are talking to in crowded environments. The prototype filters by detecting turn-taking timing patterns and excludes audio that does not match those patterns. The AI-powered headphones perform filtering without manual input and could integrate into hearing aids, smart glasses, or VR headsets to help users, particularly those with hearing impairments, focus on specific conversations.

Read at Yanko Design - Modern Industrial Design News