One of the interesting products featured at the Starkey Hearing Innovations Expo 2016 was The Dash, a “Hearable”, by Bragi. These wireless smart earphones are lightweight and waterproof. They have the ability to stream music, answer phone calls, and monitor physical activity. The sound quality is excellent and there appears to be great potential for the future. If we take this beyond monitoring exercise while listening to music…imagine an in the ear unit that could assist with understanding conversation, connect wirelessly with your phone, and monitor your physical condition. If you fall, the device could alert someone. A device that could monitor and track your blood pressure and heart rate and alert your physician to changes. From the hearing standpoint, devices that know where to focus hearing based on the direction you are looking. Imagine the implications for the future of hearing aids…and medical monitoring, all from one “Hearable!”
Angela Schenk, AuD
Jodi Conter, MS
