While many attempts have been made to improve the long-standing issues with speech in noisy environments, none have offered a reliable solution.
To combat this, HeardThat uses machine learning. This is a new approach that has resulted in the first major breakthrough in decades.
Traditional methods try to define noise mathematically so it can be identified and reduced. The problem is, in order to make the mathematics manageable, developers have to drastically simplify the models they use.
As a result, the device can’t tell the difference between noise and speech. Either they amplify everything, including the noise, or they try to cancel the noise but end up reducing the speech too.
In contrast, machine learning listens to a lot of real speech, a lot of real noise, and a lot of speech mixed with noise until it learns the difference.
This is more like how humans learn to separate speech from noise: from examples. Which is exactly what HeardThat does.
To create the HeardThat app, we trained algorithms with thousands of hours of recorded conversations so it learned what is useful speech and what is just noise. This way, the tech functions more like the human ear, rather than a simple microphone and speaker.
HeardThat doesn’t suppress noise. It separates the noise and discards it, leaving just speech with enhanced intelligibility. As a result, conversations are extremely clear and easy to follow. (Note: all processing is done on the phone and no audio data is sent to the cloud.)
Wearable devices are unable to provide the necessary resources to do the job. They lack the necessary memory, battery life, and processing power. That’s why HeardThat uses your smartphone. Smartphones have more than enough power and they are very capable of running HeardThat’s machine learning algorithms.
Those with hidden hearing loss, which is any hearing loss that isn’t detectable by routine diagnostic testing
Those who use hearing aids or implants but find them ineffective for following conversations when there is background noise
Those who don’t use hearing aids but have difficulty following conversations when there is background noise
Download the HeardThat app
Connect your own hearing device (hearing aid, earphones, etc.) to your smartphone
Place your phone in front of you, pointing toward the person you’re speaking with (or even your TV)
Sit back and enjoy crystal clear speech without the noise—no straining to hear required
