Varibel, The Glasses That Hear

Delft University of Technology from the Netherlands is reporting that its engineers have developed spectacles that can assist patients with hearing difficulties. The product has been picked up by Philips, Frame Holland, the design agencies MMID and Verhoeven, to develop a consumer product:

Many hearing aids intensify sounds from all directions. The result is that people hear noise, but not the people they are speaking to. Because people have such difficulty understanding what others are saying, many people – in spite of their hearing aid – have less social contact with others or must retire from their jobs earlier than desired. The hearing-glasses can provide a solution to this problem, say the experts and users who have tried and tested the Varibel.
The Varibel cannot be compared to traditional hearing aids. In each leg of the glass’ frame there is a row of four tiny, interconnected microphones, which selectively intensify the sounds that come from the front, while dampening the surrounding noise. With this solution, the user can separate the desired sounds from the undesired background noise. Dr. C.H.M. Stengs, ENT specialist at the Rijnstate Hospital in Arnhem, said of the Varibel: “Practical experience with the hearing-glasses supports the theoretical claims that the ability to understand speech is much better. There is a significant improvement in the sound quality.”
With Varibel, natural sounds can still be heard. This solution allows people to hear naturally and clearly in the direction in which they are looking. This has great advantages for daily life. Martin de Jong, audio-technician from Huizen, says: “With the Varibel, the natural sounds that people enjoy are retained. This works surprisingly well. People can hear good and at the same time clearly – and especially in rooms such as in a cafe or at a birthday party.”

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