Noveto develops biometric device to beam personal audio with no headphones

Noveto, an Israeli sound technology startup, is introducing the SoundBeamer 1.0, a compact desktop personal audio device embedded with multimodal biometrics and capable of beaming sound directly to a person’s ears without the use of headphones.

A post to the Kickstarter crowdfunding platform says that SoundBeamer 1.0 creates a personal listening experience without disturbing others. A built-in 3D sensing module which helps locate and track the users’ ears in real-time enables the SoundBeamer to beam pockets of sound that only the intended listener can hear. Listeners are identified with face biometrics, and the device also includes voice and gesture recognition.

By paring the SoundBeamer with a computer, tablet, smartphone or TV through Bluetooth, users can participate in videoconferencing, use home entertainment systems, listen to podcasts or music during fitness sessions, or playing video games without wearing headphones, and yet without the sound being audible to other people in the same room.

The company says its device is designed for the best listening experience and user comfort, and can be used for a range of applications.

The SoundBeaming system, Noveto further explained, works using non-audible acoustic waves and beamforming which place the audio just outside the biometrically-identified user’s ears. The acoustic waves, it added, are pushed into the air via the Proprietary Noveto Transducer Array, which is controlled by the company’s patented chipset and software.

In addition to biometrics, other features of the SoundBeamer 1.0 device include a 3D spatial audio experience, ambient sound analysis, and natural and intuitive interaction, according to the post.

Noveto CEO, Christophe Ramstein, said he was happy to help bring a “magical new audio experience” with SoundBeamer, and announced a partnership with Foxconn for the production and marketing of the SoundBeamer 1.0 device.

The Noveto team says it is partnering up with others to develop and expand the product’s acoustic attributes as well as enhance the user experience by embedding voice understanding engines and other innovative software tools connecting to the Noveto SDKs.

Article Topics

3D  |  biometrics  |  consumer electronics  |  crowdfunding  |  gesture recognition  |  multimodal  |  Noveto  |  research and development  |  voice recognition