Predictions for 2031: Christophe Micheyl: Earbuds morning to night, all of us, all ages

Like many of our 2031 predictions, Christophe's vision relies on the development and extended acceptance of technology. Read on…

Christophe Micheyl, newly appointed Principal Research Scientist and European Director of Research, Starkey France

Despite the promise of genetic therapies, cochlear cell regeneration remains too imperfect to be applied on a large scale in humans.

Earbuds, the modern successors to what were once called hearing aids, have become essential accessories, worn by everyone, from children to seniors, with or without hearing loss, day or night. Fully-fledged connected health objects, they continuously monitor various biometric signals. Among these, indicators of the proper functioning of the inner ear and the auditory brain, two key organs of hearing health. This information is used to optimise auditory stimulation according to the acoustic environment and the brain activity of their user: a selective sound amplifier during active listening, the earbud turns into an active anti-noise system during meditation and sleep.

Source: Audiology Worldnews EUHA special 2021