Flight Hearing Protection System

Creare proposes a cost-effective upgrade to the Navy"s helmet for helicopter aircrews that will improve the hearing protection provided by this device. The upgrade will be engineered for the higher noise levels expected in the new CH-53K heavy-lift helicopter. We will focus on maximizing the passive attenuation provided by the helmet rather than introducing additional active electronics. We will also integrate an option for a communications earplug. Earplugs offer additional hearing protection and redundancy, as well as improved communications intelligibility. However, current earplugs have issues with fit, comfort, and performance in the field. To address these issues, we propose to develop an innovative earplug that is easily inserted and removed but seals deep in the ear canal. During the Phase I project, we proved the feasibility of our upgrade approach by demonstrating a large improvement in the attenuation provided by an upgraded helmet, particularly at low frequencies. Furthermore, we successfully demonstrated a prototype of our innovative earplug concept. In Phase II we will refine the upgrade design, select components, fabricate integrated prototypes, and measure their performance in the laboratory and in the field.