Speakerless Headphones?

I remember seeing an writeup in popular science about 5 or 6 years ago
about some headphones that don't use speakers. They attached to the
listeners temples and transmitted signals right to the brain or
something like that. Anyway, I'm trying to find out who made them...
does anyone else remember hearing about this type of technology, or
know where I could find the company? thanks

 

[Leon Sorokin]

talking about something like this?

http://www.gsrguitars.co.uk/soundbug.htm

<jaedend@charter.net> wrote in message
news:1106586705.887153.323830@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...

I remember seeing an writeup in popular science about 5 or 6 years ago
about some headphones that don't use speakers. They attached to the
listeners temples and transmitted signals right to the brain or
something like that. Anyway, I'm trying to find out who made them...
does anyone else remember hearing about this type of technology, or
know where I could find the company? thanks

 

No, that device creates sound waves by vibrating the plane it's
attached to. From what I remember the device I'm looking for does not
not create soundwaves at all but completely bypasses your eardrum and
somehow "beams" the sound into your brain. It looked simular to a
regular headset, but you wore it on your temples instead of your ears.
Sounds crazy doesn't it? I'm just wondering where the technology has
gone from when I saw the popular science write up on it.


Leon Sorokin wrote:

talking about something like this?

http://www.gsrguitars.co.uk/soundbug.htm

 

[Michael Black]

(jaedend@charter.net) writes:

No, that device creates sound waves by vibrating the plane it's
attached to. From what I remember the device I'm looking for does not
not create soundwaves at all but completely bypasses your eardrum and
somehow "beams" the sound into your brain. It looked simular to a
regular headset, but you wore it on your temples instead of your ears.
Sounds crazy doesn't it? I'm just wondering where the technology has
gone from when I saw the popular science write up on it.

There was something talked about, decades ago. I don't know if

it's the same thing you saw. But people were talking about being
able to induce sound directly back in 1972.

I don't know if there was any truth to it. About twenty years ago,
I found a book by Harry G. Stine who mentioned something about it.
I can't recall the title, but it was non-fiction.

Michael

Leon Sorokin wrote:
talking about something like this?

http://www.gsrguitars.co.uk/soundbug.htm

 

[Tom Biasi]

<jaedend@charter.net> wrote in message
news:1106586705.887153.323830@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...

I remember seeing an writeup in popular science about 5 or 6 years ago
about some headphones that don't use speakers. They attached to the
listeners temples and transmitted signals right to the brain or
something like that. Anyway, I'm trying to find out who made them...
does anyone else remember hearing about this type of technology, or
know where I could find the company? thanks

Maybe it was a bone conduction device.

 

[Bob Masta]

On 24 Jan 2005 09:11:45 -0800, jaedend@charter.net wrote:

I remember seeing an writeup in popular science about 5 or 6 years ago
about some headphones that don't use speakers. They attached to the
listeners temples and transmitted signals right to the brain or
something like that. Anyway, I'm trying to find out who made them...
does anyone else remember hearing about this type of technology, or
know where I could find the company? thanks

I'm extremely doubtful about this. The auditory system is a
parallel channel system: The inner ear decomposes the
sound into constituent frequencies via a sort of mechanical
spectrum analyzer. The individual frequency channels are
encoded separately and run in parallel neurons to the rest
of the auditory system and the brain. If the Popular Science
device somehow created actual sound waves, the system
would work normally. There are indeed electrical effects
on tissue that can create sound directly, but nothing that
you would want to listen to or tolerate for long periods.

But direct stimulation of the neurons is not feasible, because
the gadget would somehow have to analyze the sound (FFT?)
and then apply each component to the proper target neuron.
This is what the cochlear prosthesis attempts to do, though
with only a handful of electrodes it's definitely not "hi fi".
There are also research projects underway that seek to implant
electrode arrays at higher "way stations" that the neural signals
pass through, but they are a long ways from fruition. Part of
the problem is just figuring out the encoding scheme, since
each step higher in the processing chain adds additional
processing. Another part of the problem is locating "tonotopic"
regions to implant the electrodes, so you can match the
stimulated electrodes to the results of the spectral analysis.

My guess is that the Popular Science thing was either
their typical blus-sky pipe dream, *or* it was a gadget
that could stimulate the brain directly (via magnetic
fields, for instance) and create some general auditory
sensation. You could use such a device to send code,
but not music. (Possibly speech, with lots of training.
The earliest cochlear prostheses had only a single
electrode to stimulate the auditory nerve. The effect
was that you could hear the cadence of speech, and
it was helpful in conjunction with lip-reading. Nobody
ever got to the stage of understanding a telephone
conversation without seeing the talker, using only a
single channel.)

Best regards,



Bob Masta
dqatechATdaqartaDOTcom

D A Q A R T A
Data AcQuisition And Real-Time Analysis
www.daqarta.com

 

[Michael Black]

"Tom Biasi" (tombiasi@REMOVETHISoptonline.net) writes:

jaedend@charter.net> wrote in message
news:1106586705.887153.323830@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
I remember seeing an writeup in popular science about 5 or 6 years ago
about some headphones that don't use speakers. They attached to the
listeners temples and transmitted signals right to the brain or
something like that. Anyway, I'm trying to find out who made them...
does anyone else remember hearing about this type of technology, or
know where I could find the company? thanks

Maybe it was a bone conduction device.


NO, I suspect it's the "Neurophone". This is what I was referring to

in an earlier post, and after I posted, I looked up a post of mine when
a similar question had been asked.

There's a page about the device here:
http://www.worldtrans.org/spir/neuro.html

I have no idea whether there's any reality to the device. It seems
wrapped in too much "they are trying to suppress it" claims.

THe Harry G. Stine book I mentioned is called "Silicon Gods".

Michael

 

[Eric R Snow]

On 26 Jan 2005 17:36:40 GMT, et472@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Michael Black)
wrote:

"Tom Biasi" (tombiasi@REMOVETHISoptonline.net) writes:
jaedend@charter.net> wrote in message
news:1106586705.887153.323830@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
I remember seeing an writeup in popular science about 5 or 6 years ago
about some headphones that don't use speakers. They attached to the
listeners temples and transmitted signals right to the brain or
something like that. Anyway, I'm trying to find out who made them...
does anyone else remember hearing about this type of technology, or
know where I could find the company? thanks

Maybe it was a bone conduction device.


NO, I suspect it's the "Neurophone". This is what I was referring to
in an earlier post, and after I posted, I looked up a post of mine when
a similar question had been asked.

There's a page about the device here:
http://www.worldtrans.org/spir/neuro.html

I have no idea whether there's any reality to the device. It seems
wrapped in too much "they are trying to suppress it" claims.

THe Harry G. Stine book I mentioned is called "Silicon Gods".

Michael
However, there is a patent issued to G. P. Flanagan for this device. I

did not read the text. But you can go to the USPTO site and search for
the patent number mentioned in the above link.
ERS

 

[Bob Masta]

On 26 Jan 2005 17:36:40 GMT, et472@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Michael Black)
wrote:

NO, I suspect it's the "Neurophone". This is what I was referring to
in an earlier post, and after I posted, I looked up a post of mine when
a similar question had been asked.

There's a page about the device here:
http://www.worldtrans.org/spir/neuro.html

I have no idea whether there's any reality to the device. It seems
wrapped in too much "they are trying to suppress it" claims.

I checked out the site you mentioned.

I must say that after spending a couple
of decades involved with hearing research,
I now see that it was all for nothing.
I will have to tell my old associates at the
Kresge Hearing Research Institute at the
University of Michigan that they have wasted
their careers on science, when they could
have been harnessing the limitless powers
of ESP. What a tragedy that this brilliant
invention has been so cruelly suppressed.
I assume that was done by the sinister hearing
aid cartel, so they could continue their
control of the market on their way to
world domination. ;-)

(Sigh. Maybe some inventions *deserve*
to be "suppressed"... especially when
they are blatant scams!)

Best regards,






Bob Masta
dqatechATdaqartaDOTcom

D A Q A R T A
Data AcQuisition And Real-Time Analysis
www.daqarta.com

 

[Trobador]

"Tom Biasi" <tombiasi@REMOVETHISoptonline.net> wrote in message
newsIKJd.1274$Fq2.867@fe08.lga...

jaedend@charter.net> wrote in message
news:1106586705.887153.323830@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
I remember seeing an writeup in popular science about 5 or 6 years ago
about some headphones that don't use speakers. They attached to the
listeners temples and transmitted signals right to the brain or
something like that. Anyway, I'm trying to find out who made them...
does anyone else remember hearing about this type of technology, or
know where I could find the company? thanks

Maybe it was a bone conduction device.

A magazine add I remember from ~70s had a babe (in yellow attire, IIRC)

jogging with what seemed to be a towell (curiously yellow as well) around
her neck. The add was for a speakerless radio. The add said it was supposed
to vibrate and pass the vibrations to the ear through the bones. Never saw
that babe again. I think muscle and skin atenuates the vibrations. Let me
know If you find it or build a working unit, my neighbor's kid likes to
listen to loud cRAP.

buena suerte.