Hearing and Tinnitus Correction and Personalization Hearing Protection (HTCP-HP)

Frontier Audio Labs' technology would provide the first hearing protection headset offering integrated medical hearing aid functionality to improve the hearing and communication capabilities of warfighters and industrial workers with hearing damage and tinnitus. Frontier Audio Labs' novel acoustic system and digital signal processing algorithms enable high-speed, high-fidelity filters to be applied to restore auditory function for all levels of hearing loss while also providing best in class hearing protection. Additionally, Frontier Audio Labs' digital signal processing (DSP) algorithms would allow unique features like notching therapy to alleviate tinnitus (based on research from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association), which causes significant discomfort to thousands of warfighters across the DoD. This STTR P1 effort will validate the ability of Frontier Audio Labs’ to adapt its advanced hearing protection headset to provide hearing correction, tinnitus relief, and personalization (hearing aid equivalent) with the HTCP-HP for Air Force end-users. Frontier Audio Labs is currently in internal prototyping and the Phase 1 feasibility study would be integral to prove defense need, inform capabilities/specifications that are needed by Airmen before scaling dual use commercialization, and tailor personalization and correction algorithms to the audiogram and hearing test standards of the Air Force, among other items.