Date: Jan 15, 2008 Source: ARMY SBIR Success Stories (
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U.S. Army pilots have a vital need to effectively communicate with every member of their flight team while undertaking dangerous and technically demanding missions. To address this need, Sound Innovations Inc. designed and tested the ACE Active Noise Reduction (ANR) communication earplug. This earplug provides greater sound attenuation, robust hearing protection, and high fidelity communications for Army helicopter crews.
A helicopter presents a challenging noise environment in which total noise levels can reach over 110 decibels (dB), which impairs radio intelligibility, is fatiguing for the helicopter occupants, and ultimately can lead to hearing loss. The ACE significantly reduces the helicopter noise that reaches the ear, thereby reducing fatigue and allowing pilots to hear radio communications more clearly and at lower decibel levels.
Additionally, it incorporates Sound Innovations' patented Feedforward ANR system with a low weight communication earplug and a shallow-fit conformal foam ear tip.
Fielding of this technology will improve productivity, performance, and hearing conservation, while enhancing Soldier performance and preventing deleterious effects of noise-induced hearing loss for our Soldiers. The development of this technology by Sound Innovations shows promising improvements for not only the Army's air crews, but also other military vehicle crews and ground force applications as well. The first ANR headset product is now undergoing Air Force qualification testing and is expected to achieve Safe to Fly certification in the second half of 2008. Once this is achieved, it can be sold to the aircrew market.
Phase III Impacts:
In 2007, Sound Innovations won a $1.5 million contract from the Air Force Materiel Command to design and test an Aircrew Helmet Noise Reduction (AHNR) system. The ACE has passed Design Verification Testing, and flight testing begins in August of 2008. Sound Innovations expects to receive Safe to Fly certification for the ACE in the first half of 2009.
