Putting the Smart in Smart Devices - The Future of Hearables Is Voice Controlled

To expand our readers' perspective on the topic of true wireless earbuds and hearables, defined as ear-worn electronic devices, this article discusses how hearable technology is at the intersection of wearables and headphones, and was designed for multi-purpose use, including voice transmission, sound amplification, and wireless communications. The CEO of Fluent.ai details how consumers' expectations for using earbuds everywhere, including for work communications in noisy public environments, is pushing technology to face the challenges at the source, on-device. This article was originally published in audioXpress, April 2022.

Knowles announced the availability of a new development kit for true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds, centered on the capabilities of its AISonic family of audio edge-AI processors and expanded by key partnerships in voice and audio processing algorithms for TWS products. This article details the opportunities for TWS development and helping manufacturers to differentiate their newest designs. This article was originally published in audioXpress, January 2022.

Fluent.ai announced its collaboration with Knowles Corporation to deliver AI-powered voice control for True Wireless Stereo (TWS) earbuds and other hearable products, fully on-device. Running on Knowles' AISonic processors, providing a small footprint embedded technology for edge AI, the solution allows developers to implement noise robust voice commands to trigger TWS actions in any language or accent, without the need for an Internet connection or accompanying smartphone app.

AIStorm, a pioneer of AI-in-Sensor SoCs for edge devices, announced a development partnership with Knowles Corporation. The collaboration will focus on achieving the lowest-power, highest-performance audio solutions available to enable emerging features. AIStorm’s patented analog and mixed-signal IP, combined with Knowles’ audio signal processing technology and advanced micro-acoustic microphones and speakers, bring enhanced audio features and power savings to mobile, true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds, and connected devices.