Voice is an essential ingredient in boosting the development of hearables for its application in the healthcare and wellness sector

The wearables market is skyrocketing each day since it provides better visibility of a person’s physical status. Wearable biometric monitoring devices are also in use as wearables are considered highly capable of recording biological, physiological, and behavioral data. 

However, there is another underrated technology that can fuel the biometrics landscape with its far-reaching potential known as hearables. Incorporating biometric sensors into hearables has better advantages over wearables. Human ears are protected from external disturbances and are deeply connected to the body and blood vessels. Also, ears can identify voices and enhance the possibility of voice biometrics. Placing biometric sensors in the hearables brings them closer to our body’s core and hence provides better and more accurate data. According to an IDTEchX report as mentioned in PR Newswire, even though it is still early days for hearables containing biometric sensors, the market forecasts predict that over $5 bn of ear-worn products containing biosensors will be sold by 2030. 

Voice as a Catalyst for Tracking Health Conditions

Voice recognition and analytics have a pivotal role to play in the incorporation of biosensors in hearing devices. In the current scenario, wherein we are surrounded by voice assistants like Alexa and Siri, there have already been large investments made into the application of voice analytics by business giants. 

Voice is thus an important aspect of the business ecosystem. 

Voice biometrics is being accepted by many industries like education and healthcare to enhance security and digital identity verification. Every person has unique voice characteristics and this ensures the establishment of identities depending on the voice, tone, and accent. Voice biometrics has a huge advantage of better privacy since it does not require the sharing of personal details other than the voiceprint. Tech startups are flourishing with the idea to capitalize and invest in voice since it is a non-invasive approach. 

Voice biosensors in hearables will be of great advantage for the healthcare and wellness industries. A report by Medcity News reveals how startups are turning to voice data as they try to develop tools to detect a wide range of diseases. Further, the report mentions Vocalis Health’s partnership with Mayo Clinic to identify potential biomarkers for pulmonary hypertension. 

Integrating voice into the biosensors in hearables can increase the capability of detecting diseases and health conditions since ears are closer to our voice box and body. 

Using AI, machine learning, and data analytics can aid the innovation of voice analytics across industries. 

Although voice analytics boast of its non-invasive method, a lot of our information is already out through our voices used by devices like Alexa. They monitor and track our voices to provide better services and this enables understanding consumer behaviour and status through voiceprints. 

However, if the flaws are ignored, voice analytics is one of the emerging markets with competitive advantages for business enterprises. 

Frank Fitzpatrick writes in a Forbes article, “...biometric sensors and their scalable application in a competitive Hearables ecosystem are far more relevant and alive than product analysts are accounting for in their current market projections.”

The growth of hearables in the coming years will see voice as a catalyst that enables better monitoring of physiological and emotional well-being. Voice biometrics will enhance the capabilities of hearing devices, thus popularizing them in the market.