For many of us, the word cocktail party all kinds of positive associations. Unfortunately, this does not apply to everyone. For people suffering from hearing problems, the so-called Cocktail Party Problem is a substantial obstacle. This is because it causes ambient sounds to turn into one big haze for them, making it very difficult to distinguish individual sounds and their source. By looking at the way bees perceive sound, start-up BeephoniX found the solution, says CEO Klaas-Jan Kakebeeke.
The take-off phase
The inspiration for BeephoniX came when Martijn Agterberg, senior lecturer at Radboud University and audiologist, attended a lecture by a beekeeper a few years ago. "There he learned that bees use their antennae as movable ears, allowing them to trace the source of a sound very precisely," Klaas-Jan explains. "Based on this mechanism, Martijn and technical engineer Patrick Wijnings developed a rotating microphone that traces the source of a sound."
Social isolation
After all, the Cocktail Party Problem can grow into a harmful problem. "Despite industry efforts, current hearing aids only amplify sounds, but do not solve the real problem. People who wear them therefore often avoid crowded and noisy environments and large groups because they cannot hear what others are saying. This not only increases stress on the ear, but also leads to uncomfortable feelings and sometimes even social isolation. This is a big problem, which is precisely why an innovation to solve this problem is so important," Klaas-Jan said.
So BeephoniX's innovation is of interest to people suffering from the Cocktail Party Problem. "According to the World Health Organisation, one in four people will suffer from hearing problems to some extent by 2050. By placing our microphone in hearing aids, conversations in noisy situations can be easily followed."
Find noise source
But how exactly does this innovation work? "Our technology consists of a moving microphone. When a speaker speaks from the direction of movement, the microphone causes a doppler effect. When a speaker speaks from the other direction, no doppler effect occurs. This means we can locate the position of the sound source by measuring the strength of the doppler effect."
Spreading its wings
Klaas-Jan and Patrick joined the BeephoniX team just over a year ago. They competed in the NWO Venture Challenge, where they achieved a respectable second place with their idea. They also received a take-off 2 loan from NWO of €250,000, and additional funding of €190,000. This paved the way for other collaborations.
Great interest in prototype
BeephoniX's prototype, the Beepod, has already attracted a lot of interest from organisations such as the Ministry of Defence. They have awarded BeephoniX a grant and they want to use the technology to detect drones. "We are also in talks with Holland Health and an Austrian company, both of which were impressed by our prototype. We are currently working on version 2.0."
Briskr
Klaas-Jan: "Of course, our cooperation with Briskr was a great help. With start-ups in the world of health and high-tech, investors sometimes find it difficult to see the dot on the horizon. You often need a lot of investment. Briskr put us in touch with promising business angels and continues to support us with services such as workshops and business valuation."
Highflyers
The goal of BeephoniX is clear, says Klaas-Jan. "Solving the Cocktail Party Problem, of course! If we succeed in this, we will have realised something beautiful. We have the first crucial funding in. Now we have to make sure we keep up the pace and achieve our ambitious goal."
"It would be great if our microphone ends up in hearing aids. We are very curious to see where this journey takes us."
This article was previously published in English on the website of Briskr.
