‘Bone-conducting’ headphones provide a high fidelity ear-free experience

While headphones empower users with music on the go, their insulating quality often separates listeners from the outside world while gradually destroying the wearer’s hearing. The recently launched Batband seeks to change all that by transmitting music through the bones of the skull in a process called “bone conduction,” leaving the ears uncovered.

Developed by Studio Banana Things, the minimalist-looking Batband emits high frequency sound waves that travel through the wearer’s head into the inner-ear canal allowing one to simultaneously hear both music and the outside world.

The “bone conduction process” is executed using three transducers that rest against the occipital bone (behind the head) and on either side of the temporal bone (above the ear), which work in tandem to provide the “high fidelity sound” that distinguishes Batband from other bone conduction headphones.

Like all modern wireless devices, Batband connects to one’s mobile device through Bluetooth and even features a build-in mic for two-communication. Touch sensors on the right allow volume adjustment via gesture control and while buttons on the left take or end calls. Batband’s lithium-ion battery is built-in, and said to provide six hours of playback before it needs to be recharged by way of the micro USB connector.

While its Kickstarter campaign remains underway, Batband may be acquired for an early adopter free of $150 before eventually retailing at $250 in April 2016 when the project launched. At the moment, the campaign has 43 days left to go with more than 2/3 of its funding already completed.

Source: Gizmag via Kickstarter