The neuromorphic analog chip will make your headphones smarter. It can enable AI to extract and process the voice without requiring any external components.
Image showing process of voice extraction (source: Polyn)
NV101 is a Neuromorphic analog ultra-low power chip that combines voice detection and voice extraction in a single compact package. The tiny AI chip can extract voice from any background noise, thus, enabling hearables such as wireless earphones, hearing assistance, gamer headphones, and intercom systems to provide better sound quality even in noisy environments. AI-based extraction of the voice signal in a noisy environment, including irregular noises, provides a better hearing experience than standard noise cancellation filters.
The NV101 is developed by Polyn which is a fabless semiconductor company based out of Israel. The company develops technology and products that enable a wide range of edge AI applications such as wearables, industry 4.0, connected health 4.0, smart home, and more. POLYN’s solution offers an especially clear voice and immediate adaptation to any background conditions along with voice extraction/transparent mode.
“Earbuds, smartphones, hearing assistance, gamer headphones, and intercom systems need new technology to bring voice processing to a new level,” said Eugene Zetserov, VP Marketing and Business Development of POLYN. “Current methods of voice signal processing are power hungry and, in some cases, fall short. Immediate voice recognition is important for hearing assistance devices. AI-based extraction of the voice signal in a noisy environment, including irregular noises, provides a better hearing experience than standard noise cancellation filters. A neural network is a perfect tool for voice processing and POLYN offers it on a tiny neuromorphic analog chip.”
To simplify the customization of the existing chip and speed up the chip generation process, the company has develops the framework and tools for a neural network conversion into an analog neuromorphic chip. The framework also enables adding additional voice features in the existing chip. Some of the additional features include wake word detection (WWD) and keyword spotting (KWS). The advanced neuromorphic chip can also enable, security personnel and firefighters to communicate better with their peers and others in noisy environments.
