Augmented Audio Reality: A Solution for Smarter Hearables

With the developing augmented reality, smarter hearables, with augmented audio reality, can be a game-changer for customer experience. 

A few years back the game Pokemon Go created a lot of business amongst business and technology. Developed by an American firm Niantic in collaboration with The Pokemon Company, the game used augmented reality as a technology to allow its users to observe the world in a digital setting with the help of their smartphones. The game which won the BBC Radio 1st Teen awards 2016, was the first where augmented reality was introduced to the world. 

However, over the years, the use of Augmented Reality is broad-based. It is used by many global firms to enhance their customer experience and services. For example, IKEA has developed an application using augmented reality that enables its customers to visualize the setting of furniture in their homes digitally. Another example would be LoreaL's You cam app, which allows the customer for trying out cosmetic products with the help of a smartphone. 

Despite all these advancements, the business and tech companies are betting their money over another innovation through augmented reality: the Hearables, which will be governed by audio augmented Reality.

A report by Markets and Markets states that by the year 2030, the market value of AR-based hearables would account for $US 23.24 billion, with a growing CAGR of 9.98% from 2017-2030. Another report by Juniper Research states that Hearable devices will lead the wireless headphones market, with more than 970 million users by the year 2024. 

What is Augmented Reality?

Augmented reality is often confused with virtual reality, which is a computer-based technology that creates a stimulating background so that users can interact with the 3D world. But both the technologies are different, in the sense that Augmented Reality enhances the physical world by introducing the virtual elements, thus enabling customers to have a better understanding of the features of virtual element. 

Augmented Reality also showcases the specific feature of the virtual element by using a 3D model in real situations and adding contextual information to a camera display or headphone. 

The many applications of Augmented Reality include gaming, military, smartphones, and Hearables. 

The architecture of Audio Augmented Reality 

Four components govern the process of Hearables: Hardware, Software, Infrastructure, and Mobile Application. 

1) Hardware– The Hardware consist of PCB, data processors, sensors, battery, antenna, and microphone array. The fitting of all these devices is in a very limited space, hence the responsibility of stocking all these components lies in the hand of the Hardware Engineer, who design the PCB Layout. Then the specialists analyze the PCB signal and might add a solution for speeding up the specific software functions. The final task relies on a tech vendor for maintaining the computing power for the desired functionality of the hearing object. 

2) Embedded Software– Embedding a software within the Hearable can be achieved by communication between software and hardware through the instruction by a software engineer. These instructions include collection, processing, analyzing the data, transferring the information, and merging the solution with other devices. 

3) Infrastructure-  The back end infrastructure includes the restoration, processing, and establishing of the data at the end-point devices, which can be done by developing the application logic. 

4)Mobile Application-  This provides access to settings and customization thus enabling users to access sensor data on their screen and conveniently manage the device. 

Applications of Augmented Audio Reality

1) AI-Based Noise Cancellation-  The Noise cancellation device has a multi-microphone array that is governed by an active noise canceling (ANC) algorithm which segregates desired audio from the external noise. Some of the examples of these devices are Bose Headphones, which uses augmented reality for filtering noise, and Nuheara IQ buds.

2) In-ear Device for Speech Recognition-  This type of device is governed by two components:

a) Language Identification System( LID) identifies a foreign language. 

b) Automatic Speech Recognition for converting the phonetic speech into words, which is achieved by the NLP algorithm. It translates a foreign language and provides two ways of translation into multiple languages simultaneously. 

3) Smart Hearing Aids- With the help of augmented Reality these devices can enhance the desired sound and cancel the noise by equipping the device with a directional microphone. The example of Smart Hearing aid is Olive Union.