This project aims:

• to develop more effective hearing protectors that reduce many of these issues, and
• to assist our commercial partners in development of hearing protection products.

To date, a prototype "hear-through" earmuff has been developed and is undergoing field trials.

The project currently has three main areas of activity:

1. development of a 'hear-through' electronic earmuff that allows wearers to hear most sounds at a normal level, while limiting loud sounds to a safe level. Prototype earmuffs have been produced for field trials and standards testing; commercial partners intend to produce the earmuffs on a commercial basis within the year.

2. improving the effectiveness of hearing protectors through the use of digital signal processing and physical design, making them more comfortable and improving communications with other people in noisy environments.

3. a small noise dosimeter is being developed for convenient and accurate assessment of the real noise exposure levels inside earmuff-style hearing protectors. This instrument will be used in our own research and may fill a market niche for more accurate noise exposure monitoring systems in industry.