Sure, the Dyson OnTrac may tout 55-hour battery life, but these AI noise-cancelling headphones developed by University of Washington researchers can create sound bubbles to isolate conversations. These sound bubbles enable people within a radius of up to 6.6-feet to talk with reduced interference from other speakers or noise outside the zone.
The audio system consists of a standard noise-cancelling headset with up to six microphones that detect nearby and more distant sounds, providing data for neural network analysis. These AI networks then find the distances to sound sources and determine which of them lay inside a programmable bubble radius of 3.3 ft, 4.9 ft, or 6.6 ft. For more accuracy, these networks were trained with both simulated and real-world data, captured in 22 rooms of various sizes and sound-absorbing qualities with multiple combinations of human subjects. The algorithm proceeds to run on a small embedded CPU – either the Orange Pi or Raspberry Pi – and sends the information back to the headphones in milliseconds.
- NOISE CANCELLING HEADPHONES: Effortlessly combines noise cancellation technology with passive features so you can shut off the outside world, quiet...
- COMFORTABLE HEADPHONES: Plush earcup cushions softly hug your ears, while a secure and comfortable padded band gently keeps your over ear headphones...
- 2 LISTENING MODES: These wireless Bluetooth headphones feature Quiet and Aware Modes that let you toggle between full noise cancelling or full...
We are at a time when hardware and algorithms are coming together to support AI augmentation. This is not about AI replacing jobs, but about having a positive impact on people through a human-computer interface,” said Shyam Gollakota, University of Washington professor.
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