A New Paradigm in Hearing Performance: The Reveal’s Dual AI Engine
At the core of the Oticon Reveal is its innovative Dual AI processing system, a departure from previous generations, including Oticon’s own Intent platform. Michael Lamberson, President of Oticon USA, and Thomas Behrens, Vice President of Hearing Aid Audiology, elucidated the technological advancements that position the Reveal as a distinct entity in the market. "This is not merely a better version of Intent," Lamberson stated, emphasizing the culmination of years of R&D and algorithmic breakthroughs. "It’s the best of all the technologies and learnings that we’ve had over the years, combining them in a way that has never been done before."
The Dual AI system operates on a single main hearing aid signal processing chip, integrating two deep neural networks (DNNs) that work in concert. One DNN, referred to as Speech AI, is meticulously trained to identify and track speech with unprecedented precision across all frequencies, simultaneously cleaning it up for clarity. The second DNN, the Context AI, leverages information from the Speech AI to intelligently set the optimal level of contextual sounds and further reduce background noise. This integrated approach allows the networks to inform and complement each other, with one handling easily locatable sounds and the other managing more diffuse, remaining background noise. This synergy ensures a delicate balance, providing users with crystal-clear speech while maintaining access to crucial environmental cues.
This architecture represents a philosophical shift from earlier models, such as the Intent, which primarily used a DNN to inform a scene classifier and inertial sensors to control hearing aid settings. The Reveal, instead, aims for a holistic sound experience where both speech and environmental sounds are presented in their proper balance, enhancing the brain’s natural ability to make sense of sound.
The "Brain-Friendly" Approach: Beyond the Sound Bubble
Oticon’s design philosophy with the Reveal challenges the conventional "sound bubble" approach, which often prioritizes isolating speech by aggressively suppressing all other sounds. Behrens explained, "If you really take it all away, you deprive the brain of something super important, which it really needs." He elaborated that the brain relies on libraries of sounds that are natural mixtures of speech and surrounding sounds to interpret and recognize audio effectively. By providing the brain with this rich, yet balanced, auditory input, the Reveal aims to enhance cognitive processing, making it faster and more efficient at recognizing sound.
This approach is supported by ongoing research, including an as-yet-unpublished UK study cited by Behrens. The study observed young individuals frequently using noise-canceling headsets performing poorer in difficult speech-in-noise tasks compared to people aged 50 and above, despite having superior hearing. This suggests that a lack of exposure to contextual sounds can hinder the brain’s ability to process complex auditory environments. By maintaining contextual clues, the Reveal not only facilitates speech interpretation but also preserves and potentially rehabilitates the brain’s natural function of distinguishing speech from noise.
The amount of contextual sound a user hears can be customized through diagnostics like the audible contrast test or through patient interviews, allowing clinicians to set an individual balance point in the fitting software. Default settings, extensively tested, have shown a strong user preference for this new sound experience. While normal hearing individuals can navigate a wide range of settings for speech and context, the Reveal offers carefully developed defaults and alternatives for those with hearing loss, narrowing the optimal range but still providing personalized balance.
Automatic Operation and Addressing Complex Soundscapes
A cornerstone of the Reveal’s design is its commitment to fully automatic operation. The device constantly adjusts to varying contexts, noise levels, and the number of speakers, eliminating the need for manual program changes. This ensures a seamless listening experience as users transition between different environments, from quiet conversations to bustling restaurants.
Addressing complex scenarios like a jazz club, where the user’s intent might shift between listening to music and engaging in conversation, the Reveal’s automatic program adapts dynamically. When speech is detected, it enhances clarity, and when no speech is present, it provides a general, balanced amplification for music appreciation. For those desiring a pure listening experience, a dedicated music program offers optimized, more linear settings.
The device also employs sophisticated directional processing. While providing 360-degree access to sounds, it selectively reduces the level of noisy locations in the surroundings to create necessary contrast, ensuring that desired sounds remain available and clear. This strategy proves effective in diverse scenarios, from noisy restaurants to outdoor cafés, where the proximity of sound sources can be challenging.
Enhanced Connectivity: A Future-Proof Platform
Beyond its core sound processing, the Oticon Reveal introduces a new, robust connectivity platform. Building on Oticon’s existing support for Auracast, MFi (Made for iPhone), LE Audio (Low Energy Audio), and ASHA (Audio Streaming for Hearing Aids), the new platform features updated antenna, radio, and wireless protocols. This hardware overhaul significantly improves connection stability and extends range, crucial for supporting the increasingly connected lifestyles of modern users.
Auracast, in particular, is highlighted as a transformative technology with immense potential. The event itself provided a testament to Auracast’s value, with a plenary session in a large, reverberant ballroom successfully streaming crystal-clear audio directly to attendees’ hearing aids. The ability to tune into specific channels and adjust the listening experience via an app was demonstrated, underscoring its utility in configurable spaces. Both Lamberson and Behrens foresee Auracast proliferating rapidly in public spaces—airports, sports bars, theaters—within the next few years, benefiting not only hearing aid users but also the general public. This advancement ensures that the Reveal is well-equipped for the future of ubiquitous, high-quality audio streaming.
Durability, Power, and User Comfort
The Oticon Reveal maintains a full day of battery life (24 hours, including 4 hours of streaming), ensuring consistent performance throughout the hearing aid’s typical 4-5 year lifespan. It boasts an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, making it suitable for active lifestyles and providing peace of mind against splashes or light rain.
Significant improvements have also been made in wind noise suppression, with the Reveal offering an additional 10 dB of wind noise reduction compared to previous devices. This enhancement allows users to engage more comfortably in outdoor activities while maintaining access to desired sounds. Furthermore, updated feedback prevention mechanisms ensure that clinicians can confidently amplify sound as needed, even in high-gain situations, without compromising sound quality or introducing whistling. This improved feedback management directly contributes to the Reveal’s higher fitting range, potentially making it suitable for some individuals who might previously have required superpower devices.
The Reveal is available in four different technology levels and includes a CROS (Contralateral Routing of Signal) version, offering comprehensive solutions for a wide range of hearing loss profiles. While a superpower version is on the roadmap, the current RIC (Receiver-in-Canal) model already offers a significantly expanded fitting range, demonstrating the maturation of Oticon’s core technologies to deliver powerful amplification in smaller, more discreet devices.
The Future of Hearing: AI’s Unfolding Revolution
Looking ahead, both Lamberson and Behrens expressed profound optimism regarding the future of AI and DNNs in hearing aid technology. The advancements seen in recent years are likened to the monumental shift from analog to digital hearing aids, setting the stage for an even more dramatic evolution. Lamberson articulated an aspirational vision: "I want to get back to someone with hearing loss goes back to when they didn’t have hearing loss… I absolutely think it’s possible to get back to natural hearing." He underscored that the brain is inherently designed to process complex auditory information, and AI’s role is to provide the comprehensive, high-quality input needed for the brain to perform its job optimally.
Behrens echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that Oticon’s engineers are actively deploying AI to tackle specific, long-standing problems faced by individuals with hearing loss. "We are actually only getting started," he asserted, predicting a "big revolution" in hearing aid technology over the next 5 to 10 years, driven by new technological advancements and sophisticated algorithms. The continuous exchange of information between early research, development, and technology implementation ensures that future solutions will build upon the Reveal’s foundation, offering even greater improvements in sound processing, cognitive load reduction, and overall quality of life.
The launch of the Oticon Reveal signifies a pivotal moment in the hearing aid industry, demonstrating a commitment to "brain-friendly" technology that prioritizes a natural, comprehensive soundscape over isolated speech. By harnessing the power of Dual AI and advanced connectivity, Oticon is not only improving the listening experience today but also laying the groundwork for a future where hearing aids seamlessly restore the richness of sound, profoundly impacting the lives of millions globally. The phased global rollout, with availability beginning in August for many European countries and September for Canada and others, ensures that these innovations will soon reach a broad international audience.
