Prototype headset sends sound directly through the skull, converting experiences that we usually see into something we can hear.
A team of inventors have created a prototype headset that they claim could give us an extra sense.
Sonna uses bone conduction to transmit sound directly through the skull – and because it bypasses the ear canal, you do not need headphones.
“We have these little vibrating pieces that send sound vibrations into your skull and those then travel to your ears,” said Allison Rowe, Sonna’s co-creator.
“Then your brain does a whole lot of the work to sort of trick you into thinking that those sounds are coming from some location out in space around you.
“So you can actually sense as if these are in some 360 degree radius around you.”
Bone conduction is not a new idea but those behind Sonna think they have come up with an original use for it – helping cyclists to navigate their way through cities.
They hope to be able to turn their prototype into a device which sends audio instructions directly into riders’ skulls.
These sounds would then be targeted at specific areas of the head, so all the users would need to do is follow where the audio is coming from.
The technology that Sonna uses could also benefit people with visual impairments, by sending them audio cues which might usually come from apps that you need to be able to see.
However, Sonna is not the only device using sound in an innovative way. Grammy-winning music producer Timbaland has teamed up with Android co-creator Andy Rubin to create Subpac.
This transmits low frequency sound through the body so you can ‘feel’ what you are listening to. It is already used for gaming, virtual reality and music but it could also benefit people with hearing loss.
“As we focus on the low end and the physicality of the music, it allows people who are on the hard of hearing spectrum to really engage with music in a whole new way,” said James Williams from Subpac.
But despite the potential benefits that devices such as Sonna and Subpac offer, they might struggle to achieve mass appeal.
“I think it’s a very difficult sell to have things like bone conduction technology, because it is quite scary, but it depends on the audio experience,” said technology journalist Gareth Beavis.
“It could catch on. Maybe not mass market…but definitely there will be a niche for people that want to buy this stuff.”
– The Swipe Team
