LONDON - Ask any soldier to describe his ideal communications device and he’ll say that he wants a hands-free system that provides crisp sound anywhere on the battlefield.
It may not be time yet to ditch staticky radios … but maybe one day.
A French company called Elno has developed a communications headset that transmits and receives the human voice through vibrations in the skull.
The OH 395 full bone conduction headset has earpieces that rest just in front of the ears. A microphone is built into one of the earpieces. Sound waves travel to the ear via the bones of the listener.
In a demonstration here at DSEi, defense sales director Arnaud Delaby wears a “bone conduction device” that is connected to a standard handheld radio. This reporter wears the other set. He speaks into the microphone and the quality of his voice transmission is surprisingly clear. One can hear his voice in both ears and around the back of the skull -- similar to a surround sound experience -- with the roar of the exhibition hall in the background.
The company is under a four-year contract with the French Army to produce 22,000 units for the FELIN future soldier program.
“It’s a good order for us,” Delaby says. The company hopes to expand its customer base in the coming years.