Success – earHero

Hear The Sounds of Success
earHero

New Product Development
Boise, Idaho

In today’s world of earpieces, most people are interested in the sound quality or noise-canceling features.  For others, such as law enforcement officers or soldiers, listening through an earpiece but still hearing outside sounds can be a matter of life and death. The earHero was designed by Boise audiologist Matt Murphy, who recognized the need for an earpiece that was comfortable and covert. The earHero’s tiny speakers fit comfortably in the user’s ear canal without blocking outside sounds. They are so comfortable that users sometimes forget the earpiece is there.  Users can hear whisper level sounds from yards away while identifying the sounds’ precise location. earHero works with all standard 3.5 mm stereo input jacks making them easily accessible to the everyday consumer.

The Project

Though Murphy was a professional audiologist with deep skills and experience in his field, he was new to the process of designing, prototyping, and manufacturing a product. He did what he could with the tools at hand before connecting with the TechHelp New Product Development (NPD) team at Boise State University. TechHelp is a member of the MEP National Network™. Many of the best ideas seen by the NPD team come from specialists like Murphy, who discover profitable niches within their professions. The NPD Team had the engineering knowledge and tools to help Murphy conceptualize his idea and capture the basics in SolidWorks drawings. The team then helped Matt iterate on the idea via 3D printed prototypes as they zeroed in on a final manufacturable design.

Results

• earHero is a real product used by a wide range of consumers and professionals involved in law enforcement and military operations. 
• TechHelp created initial prototypes and iterations that led to the final product design.
• TechHelp worked with Matt to conduct research on bone conduction and frequency ranges. 
• TechHelp benchmarked earHero against current products.
• TechHelp provided manufacturing liaison services and helped oversee initial production runs.
• TechHelp manufacturing liaison services that led to the delivery of acceptable first-run products.