Your ear’s unique shape makes finding quality, in-ear headphones — that don’t cost a lot — an exercise in frustration. 3D printing and mass customization could make affordable headphones just for you. At least that’s the hope driving a team-up between 3D printing company Formlabs and headphone maker Sennheiser.
Inexpensive, mass-produced headphones and earbuds use one-size-fits-all designs that are more like one-size-fits-none. They never really fit so they fall out easily. They’re uncomfortable when you wear them too long. And they don’t block ambient sounds so you have to crank up the volume.
Manufacturers are stuck. No two people’s ear canals have the same shape so no generic design will work for everyone. Audio professionals, musicians and music lovers get around this by having earplugs custom fit for their ears. This requires a visit to an audiologist who takes a mold of their ear and then casts the earplugs. The whole process takes weeks and can be expensive.
If only there was a way to make mass customization work….
Sennheiser’s pro-audio brand AMBEO thought 3D printing might be the answer so they approached Formlabs. “We are working with Sennheiser’s AMBEO team to deliver a uniquely accessible, custom fit experience,” said Formlabs’ Director of Audio Iain Mcleod.
Instead of driving to an audiologist, sitting in the waiting room and enduring fifteen minutes of gunk in your ears, the new process starts by simply downloading a smartphone app. Based on technology from Australian startup Hearables 3D, the app scans your ears to make a “digital ear impression” and uploads it to the cloud in less than a minute.
“Ear solutions that everyday people like and can access are needed more than ever,” Hearables 3D co-founder Damian Png said. “Our vision is to make custom-fit devices an everyday norm.”
Machine-learning software converts the scan into a 3D model of your ear canals and automatically designs the custom-fit earplug. The system can add further personalization through color selection, engraved logos or engraved initials. Once the design is sliced into a print file, a Formlabs Form 3B low force stereolithography printer produces the final product. Mass customization eliminates a multi-week process and allows same-day or next-day delivery.
AMBEO’s Véronique Larcher said, “We are very excited about the concept of custom fit to deliver a custom experience to further enhance immersive listening.”
Improving Hearing Health with 3D Printing
Besides creating better audio experiences, mass-customized headphone ear tips could have a big impact on health and quality of life for millions of people. Cranking up the volume to compensate for poorly-fitting headphones could lead to long-term hearing loss. And people stuck wearing poorly-fitting hearing aids must sacrifice comfort for the ability to hear.
The convergence of innovative 3D printing processes, soft yet durable bio-safe materials, smartphone-based 3D scanning and cloud-based machine learning now offers the promise of comfortable, affordable headphones. Unfortunately, the announcement from Sennheiser and Formlabs doesn’t say when their service will be ready or indicate whether the app will work with anybody else’s headphones.
