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The US Army Is Rolling Out Superhuman Hearing to Soldiers (popularmechanics.com)

Posted by msmash on from the innovation-trickling-down dept.

An anonymous reader writes: The U.S. Army has developed an all-in-one hearing system that not only boosts the hearing of troops in the field, it also acts to cut down the noise of battle. The system, known as Tactical Communication and Protective System (TCAPS), is currently rolling out to units in the field. TCAPS is $2,000 pair of earbuds designed to limit battlefield noise exposure, cutting off noise that reaches a set decibel threshold. The wearer can still hear gunshots and estimate their direction, but the noise is dampened to a non-damaging level thanks to microphones that detect the noise, and internals that use sound canceling technology to modify it for a wearer's ears. At the same time, the decibel cap allows TCAPS-equipped soldiers to hear the voices of others around him, including through radios and other communications equipment.

3 of 117 comments (clear)

  1. So... by Yvan256 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It's a pair of Bose QuietComfort 35, army edition?

  2. Re:hearing protection by The-Ixian · · Score: 3, Insightful

    enough with the "smart" crap... they are not smart, your phone isn't smart and neither is any other electronic device... seriously...

    --
    My eyes reflect the stars and a smile lights up my face.
  3. Active headphones for shooters by mrr · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I have a $50 pair of "active headphones for shooters" that muffle gunshots, let me hear conversations, and even let me plug in my phone to listen to MP3s while I'm shooting. These sound like a slightly more advanced version of that (especially if they can indicate the direction of gunfire), but $2k?!?