In the US & Europe, only 25% of people who need a hearing aid wear one, and in the very image conscious South Korea, this is as low as 5%. And deafness is on the rise! – 700 million people now, but predictions estimate that as many as 15 – 20% of the population in 2031 will have hearing loss.

The first gen Nuguna is due to go on sale in April 2017. In the companion app, users will be able to set an alarm buzz as well as tweak sound thresholds for home and work, as well as, vibration duration and intensity. It’s battery powered with a battery life between 50 and 200 hours, depending on usage, and even connects to phones via Bluetooth.

Then later in 2017, the UFirst team plans to launch a couple of new versions: a hearing aid model so you can use the noise detection then plug in the earbud when needed; a speaker neckband (designed to decrease the risk of noise related deafness) and a Neckband with built-in earbuds again focusing on notifying wearers of high volume sound around them.

Source: Sophie Charara
Image credit: UFirst