At the AAA show in Anaheim, Calif, Phonak introduced Roger, a new digital standard that bridges the understanding gap, in noise and over distance, by wirelessly transmitting the speaker’s voice directly to the listener. Available for the education market beginning summer 2013, Roger is designed to surpass today’s Dynamic FM and equivalent digital systems.
According to Phonak, Roger offers a scientifically proven1 enhancement in signal-to-noise ratio and eliminates the hassle of frequency management.
Phonak engineers set a goal to develop a system that would result in even greater understanding at all noise levels. They also wanted to create a wireless system that was significantly easier for health care professionals and teachers to set up and use.
Built upon a new proprietary Phonak microchip and speech-in-noise algorithm, Roger is being presented as a new education industry standard.
Roger features superior speech-in-noise performance, with proven improvements of up to 54%1 over FM, and 35%1 over Dynamic FM technology. Unlike FM systems, there are no frequencies for audiologists to program and manage, so no software is required; teachers can quickly connect devices, such as Roger receivers, with a single click.
Phonak also reports that Roger’s technology is compatible with virtually every behind-the-ear hearing instrument, cochlear implant, and soundfield room amplification system.
Roger systems run on the 2.4 GHz band and employ adaptive algorithms to avoid interference and optimize operating range. Unique intelligent frequency-hopping technology selects only free frequencies, ensuring interference-free performance in every class. A virtually unlimited number of Roger networks can also be used in a single building. Additionally, because the 2.4 GHz band is freely accessible worldwide, it means that no license is necessary, allowing Roger to be used anywhere in the world.
1 Comparison of speech recognition with adaptive digital and FM wireless technology by listeners who use hearing aids. Professor Linda Thibodeau, PhD. Read more at www.phonakpro.com/com/b2b/en/evidence/topics/roger.html
SOURCE: Phonak
