Summary:Â Idun Technologies and Segotia are developing neuro-adaptive audio earbuds that can enhance focus and relaxation by integrating brain-sensing technology and generative audio.
Key Takeaways:
1. Brain-Sensing Earbuds: Idun’s earbuds discreetly integrate advanced EEG sensors to monitor brain activity.
2. Generative Audio Engine: Segotia’s technology adapts audio in real time to influence brain states.
3. Collaborative Development: The Eurostars-funded project aims to create a scalable neuro-adaptive audio platform for commercial use in earbuds.
New earbuds are being developed that not only deliver high-quality sound but also adapt to the needs of a user’s brain, enhancing focus or promoting relaxation. This is the vision behind the collaboration between Idun Technologies and Segotia, merging brain-sensing technology with a generative audio engine to create a neuro-adaptive audio platform.
Neuro-Adaptive Audio
Idun and Segotia have been awarded a Eurostars grant to collaborate on an innovation project that combines the strengths of both companies to bring an innovative neuro-adaptive audio platform to the B2B market. Using acoustic modulation and brain-sensing technology from Idun (in-ear EEG), Segotia will develop a generative audio engine (GAE) to actively stimulate a user’s brain to enhance sleep and focus.
Using proprietary EEG sensors embedded in earbuds, electrical activity emitted by the brain can be used to monitor the brain’s state, while real-time generative audio can be used to encourage the brain to move to or maintain a particular state. The project’s goal is to develop a reference hardware and software platform to provide closed loop auditory neurostimulation and embed this technology into an earbud that can be scaled with commercialization partners.
Project Roadmap
The project roadmap extends across multiple activity areas:
• Neuro-Audio Dataset: Collection of in-ear EEG on human participants with audio to provide an understanding of how different audio manipulations influence neuromarkers and behavioral outcomes relating to focus and relaxation.
• Mobile App: A mobile app interface will be created that allows users to see their brain metrics and dial in the relaxation or focus state they would like to achieve.
• Brain State Engine (BSE): Real-time EEG signal conditioning and neuromarker extraction to infer user brain state
• Generative Audio Engine (GAE): Low-latency, high-efficacy audio generation engine that receives feedback from the neuro layer and can be integrated into advanced wireless earbud hardware.
• Neuro-Audio Logic Layer: Customization of algorithms to enhance focus and sleep for users. This software layer will run between the GAE and BSE at the edge and adapt the generated audio to the needs of the user.
• Reference Design: The hardware design of the neuro-adaptive audio platform includes ear tip sensors, bio-potential amplifier and edge-processing chip with wireless audio, packaged for OEM customers to integrate into their hearables products.
About Idun Technologies
Idun Technologies develops innovative in-ear EEG brain-computer interface earbuds, the Idun Guardian and the Brain Analytics platform, making neuromarker measurements of brain states easy and intuitive over a range of applications from sleep to cognitive workload. The Idun Earbuds provide users with a normal earbud experience, being compact, lightweight, and comfortable form-factor similar to traditional wireless earbuds, with the brain-sensing components discreetly integrated. The Idun Earbuds feature exchangeable soft, brain-sensing eartips, using Idun’s patented and scalable Dryode sensor material in various sizes to provide a secure and comfortable fit. While the eartips look and feel like industry-standard silicone tips, they double as high-fidelity EEG sensors.
About Segotia
Segotia has been integrating audio DSP algorithms and solutions on all the main systems-on-chip audio platforms for years and, with the recent addition of neuroscience and neurotech expertise, positions itself as a go-to provider of “neuro-audio” science and engineering for next-generation neuro-enabled hearables. Segotia customers include top brands and IP providers in consumer audio who seek to add brain sensing to their hardware to drive new-category applications. Segotia ideates and innovates with leading hearables companies to define application concepts and develop proof-of-concept prototypes.
