All my life I have had hearing problems, but only now does it seem like life is moving me towards a hearing aid.

Interestingly enough MN is a hub of engineering expertise around the science of hearing augmentation. Talking to these brilliant nerds, I am learning that the industry is in a mind shift.

There was:

𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗺𝗮, which drove them to be miniaturized/hidden.

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅 𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, which forced audiologist fitting

𝗣𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, batteries, cleaning etc.

𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 driven by being labeled a medical device

𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 - upwards of $4k for $100 of electronics

But a convergence is happening which makes this ripe for change

GenX/Milinieals, See less of a stigma wearing technology

Modern consumer centric design, allows for novel form factors and usability

Technology can disintermediate the need for an audiologist

Technology: miniaturization, always-connected, awareness-location/position, computational power, AI and value/cost

You have heard of VR: Virtual Reality,

But have you heard of

ARA: Augmented Reality Audio

Imagine wearing headphones, but instead of isolating, it was enriching your perception through layers of digital audio information. Using location, audio feeds, environmental cues and info, to create an audio experience overlay. You can be visually present (without your head down in a screen), and not audio isolated but curated, with info whispered like an angel on your shoulder. Your enviromental audio sculpted.

Now that isn’t my fathers hearing aid, that is a superpower.

Link to original linkedin post: https://bit.ly/3zIQE2f

(worth clicking on the original linkedin Post, because the comments are amazing and often the conversation is better than the original post)