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Noveto’s ‘sound beaming’ technology emits audio straight to your ears

Noveto’s futuristic device is beaming audio media straight to people’s heads without the need for headphones.

For some, I’d imagine the second round of Covid-19 lockdowns is akin to a peaceful meditation retreat, but for larger families it’s likely a daily cacophony of noise.

As someone firmly in the latter bracket, I’d suggest a snug pair of headphones and perhaps a sturdy door lock as a quick and obvious solution. But what if you could listen to music, watch YouTube or Netflix, and game loudly within your own personal sound bubble without being disturbed or disturbing others, like a radio frequency that only you can tune into in your own mind?

Thanks to Israeli tech developers Noveto Systems, that slightly creepy yet dreamy prospect is closer to reality than you may think, and no, it doesn’t require invasive surgery or brain chips like some human-tech ventures you’ll have no doubt heard of.

Let us jog your memory…

Utilising an entirely new type of audio technology dubbed ‘sound beaming,’ these ‘sound in your mind’ sessions are created by a beaming module called the SoundBeamer 1.0. No larger than your everyday Sonos or Samsung bar, this device is all that’s required to get started… and a little private calibration.

Sound beaming uses this 3D sensing module to locate and precisely track the ear position of the listener, sending audio frequencies through ultrasonic waves and creating audio pockets close to the user’s ears without the need for speakers.

More fool me for recently forking out on a sophisticated (or so I thought) surround-sound system I guess.

As Noveto’s video demonstration shows, these pockets remain fixed at close proximity to the ear whilst following the user’s range of head motion, so long as the person stays within the generous range of the beam. When activated, a semi conventional headphone-like experience is available in stereo mode, whilst a 360 degree scope of sound is activated with an immersive spatial 3D mode.

What makes this experience particularly surreal is that both settings allow you to still hear other organic sounds, whilst those in the room are unable to hear your media of choice. Whether you’re listening to a playlist everyone else would loathe during board games, or getting a quick gaming sesh in during a social gathering (hopefully not right now), those around you won’t hear a peep – but you’ll hear everything.

Having been heavily involved in the SoundBeamer’s development, manager Anyana Wallwater is still blown away by Noveto’s achievement. ‘You don’t believe it because it sounds like a speaker, but no one else can hear it. It’s supporting you and you’re in the middle of everything. It’s happening around you.’

Slated for a mainstream release at Christmas time 2021, the SoundBeamer could represent the next step in the evolution of modern listening habits.

The invention of modern headphones, iPods, and the huge emergence mobile music have all shifted the industry heavily towards digital spaces. With subscriptions like Spotify and SoundCloud becoming increasingly common and AirPods in the ears of every third person on the underground, it’s clear to see that accessibility and convenience with technology rein when it comes to collecting and consuming audio content.

Can the SoundBeamer be the next big trailblazer on that front? It may just be.

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