This AI-backed hearing aid ensures clear conversations in crowds
Sonova, a popular company in the hearing aid industry, has introduced an innovative AI-powered solution to a common problem faced by individuals with hearing loss. The company's latest product, the Phonak Audeo Sphere Infinio, is a hearing aid designed to improve speech comprehension in noisy environments by 53 times compared to other solutions. This groundbreaking technology has demonstrated its effectiveness in clinical trials, with half of the participants reporting an improved ability to distinguish clear speech from background noise.
Addressing the 'speech-in-noise' problem
The Phonak Audeo Sphere Infinio is Sonova's response to the "speech-in-noise problem," a significant challenge in hearing aid development. Despite technological advancements over the past decade, users often struggle to understand conversations in noisy settings like public transport or restaurants. Arnd Kaldowski, Sonova Group CRO, has expressed confidence that this new technology will make a substantial difference to those affected by this issue.
A significant leap in hearing aid technology
The Phonak Audeo Sphere Infinio is part of a series of innovative solutions recently launched by Sonova. Andi Vonlanthen, Sonova's Global Head of Research and Development for Hearing Instruments, described the Phonak Audeo Infinio program as "a huge step forward in technological ingenuity." The development process involved years of work and significant investment in the technology.
DEEPSONIC: The chip powering improved speech intelligibility
To achieve the impressive results of Phonak Audeo Sphere Infinio, Sonova developed DEEPSONIC, a unique chip that uses real-time AI to separate unwanted sounds from desired speech. This platform uses ultra-responsive Phonak ERA chip, marking it as the first product line to incorporate dual-chip technology. The AI/DNN DEEPSONIC provides computational architecture optimized by Deep Neural Networks (DNNs), specifically designed to tackle the "speech-in-noise" problem. With 53 times more processing power, it improves speech intelligibility more than other AI hearing aids.
Sonova's history of advancements
Sonova has a long history of introducing groundbreaking technologies in the hearing aid industry. The company was the first to introduce directional microphone technology, rechargeable instruments, Bluetooth connectivity, and AI for personalized fitting. This latest breakthrough signifies a new era in hearing aid technology, enabling those who are hard of hearing, to engage more easily in dynamic environments.
