A German company has developed noise-cancelling speakers that ride on the back of an operator’s seat and reduce the risk of hearing loss.
Recalm was part of the agri-food startup program at Agritechnica, the world’s largest farm machinery show, which was held in Hannover, Germany, in November.
The speakers are based on common noise cancelling technology.
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“So, the basic principle is that you play back the noise that comes from the machine in the inverse phase from the speakers so that the sound waves from the machine and the sound waves from the speakers cancel each other out,” says Julius Hauslein, chief technology officer with the company.
“Hearing loss is actually the most common disease triggered by work environments; actually more than back pain,” he adds, noting people stop smoking and exercise to protect their health, but don’t consider hearing challenges.
The concept is similar to noise cancelling headphones, but it allows someone to operate the machine without wearing headphones.
The speakers, called Ancor, curve around the operator at about head level. Microphones pick up noise near the ears. An acceleration sensor on the cab mount picks up the vibrations coming from the machine before they reach the ears.
“We calculate fast enough to play back the required sound waves from the speaker before the sound reaches you,” says Hauslein.
A constant hum from equipment is an irritant to operators so reducing it can result in less fatigue and fewer errors on the part of an operator.
The unit is also a communication device. Connect the speakers to a phone using Bluetooth and it can play music and make hands-free calls. The speakers can also be plugged into a radio handset for hands-free communication between operators.
For installation, there must be a way for it to fit into the seat, similar to a head rest on a vehicle.
Recalm staff also said the speakers limit visibility to the side and back, so they won’t likely be of interest to someone operating a tractor with a need to observe implements. However, it might make sense in combines and forage harvesters. The company is also selling the product into the construction and forestry sectors.
It has sold about 80 units and is working to put it into new machinery through discussion with original equipment manufacturers.
The unit can be purchased at recalm.com. The company will configure the unit to the machine in which it will be used.
It is an investment of about $4,000 with all the options.
Recalm was started when one of the founders, who grew up in a small town, was not getting the sleep he wanted due to noise surrounding his apartment in urban Hamburg. He created a noise cancelling solution that didn’t need headphones and the concept has grown from there.
