- Researchers are working on deep-learning algorithms that will allow headphone users to select which sounds they hear.
- Users will be able to choose from 20 classes of sounds, including sirens, baby cries, bird chirps, and more.
- The researchers plan to create a commercial version of the technology.
Noise cancelation on headphones is great when you want to block out all the noise around you. But what about when you want to hear certain sounds? Modes like Ambient Sound on Sony’s WF-1000XM5 let you hear your surroundings, but also lets everything in. A new technology designed for headphones could soon allow you to pick what sounds in your environment you can hear.
Researchers at the University of Washington are currently working on deep-learning algorithms that will allow headphone users to select which sounds they hear in real-time, according to Tech Xplore. Dubbed “semantic hearing,” the headphone technology will capture audio and send it to the connected phone to cancel out all environmental sounds except for the ones you picked.