Noise pollution. Urban transportation. Excessive use of personal music players.
This is a daily routine for most of the population.
These commuters are listening to music louder than 85 Db. At least one of them will experience hearing damage by the year 2020. Noise induced hearing loss has become a major civilisation health threat.
But what if more than half of the population becomes hard of hearing? How is that going to change the meaning of the word “impaired”? Who will need to adapt to the new circumstance? What kind of help could they be offered?
At DAFT Institute, the Human Environment Unit focuses on the future. To explore the ways of dealing with noise pollution they ask questions, which may seem absurd. But the answers are taken very seriously, as they can promote developing new revolutionary ideas.
The Otomixer is a hearing regulation tool of the future. It is suggested in response to the increasing demand for a system providing a way of dealing with noise pollution. Unlike any other solution, the Otomixer adjusts one's hearing to the soundscape. It does that by administering a dose of ototoxic drugs, which temporarily paralyses hearing. Designed by DAFT as an instant personal treatment, it can be easily used at home. A straightforward “what you HEAR is what you get” interface precisely translates equaliser settings into a customised antibiotics compound, which can be injected or taken orally. By adjusting the density of the compound it is possible to control the duration of the toxic action. It can be everything from a daily wellness pill to a life-long vaccination against noise.
The Otomixer is a radical answer to many life situations.
Mrs Richards: I live in a noisy urban area. For many years I used to have restless nights. A pill of eight-hour strong ototoxins solved my problem.
Mr Bedford: I work in airport ground service. I have been taking an injection against medium frequency noise every quarter for two years now. My comfort at work now has hugely improved.
Dr Khan: I am an an audiologist. I prescribe specialist ototoxin compounds for people with hearing oversensitivity. This is how hearing impairment is treated today.
DAFT believes that future is to be invented and designed today. The Otomixer provides a loud forewarning of the approaching risks, but also a radical solution to the emerging conditions. This is an informed trade-off between our progress and our hearing.
