On December 7 and 8 our first ever WT | Wearable Technologies Conference Australia will be held in Sydney. Besides Kevin White from Collingwood Football Club, Cameron McKenzie-McHarg from 776BC International, and Qaizar Hassonjee from Tilt Textiles former VP Innovation, Adidas Wearable Sports Electronics we will have Cochlear on our stage.
With Cochlear our program is also looking at technologies that are in the body and which are communicating with peripherals – in this case the iPhone. Here a short interview with Simon Ward, Senior Manager, Mechanical & Sustaining Group, Sound Processors & Accessories at Cochlear as a sneak peek on the conference:
What is possible now with this new addition to your solution?
With the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor, people with a Cochlear Nucleus implant can stream sound directly from a compatible iPhone, iPad and iPod touch directly to their sound processor. They will also be able to control, monitor and customize their hearing on their iPhone or iPod touch through the Nucleus Smart App available from the Apple App Store.
As the world’s first and only Made for iPhone cochlear implant sound processor, the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor makes listening to music in high-quality stereo sound, watching videos and making FaceTime calls — streamed directly to their cochlear implant — easily accessible for wearers. Importantly, the direct streaming also enhances the experience of talking on the phone – something we know is incredibly important for our customers. It is also the smallest and lightest behind-the-ear cochlear implant sound processor available from Cochlear.
Who can you help to hear again with your technology? Which patient groups can benefit from Cochlear?
The Nucleus 7 Sound Processor is suitable for children and adults with severe to profound hearing loss. The technology available in the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor and the Nucleus Smart App is designed to provide simplicity, efficiency and barrier-free interactions for users.
Besides your own development what is the coolest product / technology you have seen this year in the wearable space?
Advances in wearable in-ear monitoring in 2017 are particularly interesting. While wearable and accurate in-ear heart rate monitoring has been commercially available for a few years, at least one product is taking it further this year with wearable in-ear monitoring of other vital signs, including core body temperature and oxygen consumption (VO2). Tracking these vital signs in real-time has obvious benefits in sport, optimising the performance of elite athletes. Importantly, wearable technology like this could also have a role in the management of chronic illness and in improving the safety of personnel working in extreme environments.
If you want to learn more about the new technology register today for our conference in Sydney. Simon and his colleague Ivana will be speaking on December 7 and present the following topic:
Cochlear Case Study: Engineering Industry Leading Wearable and Implantable Devices
- How to create sustainable devices for long term use
- The secrets behind effective wireless devices
Simon Ward, Senior Manager, Mechanical & Sustaining Group, Sound Processors & Accessories, Cochlear
Ivana Popvac, Manager, Systems Engineering, Cochlear
See the full program here.
