Integrating noise control, speech enhancement and wireless communication in an active earplug

For many working environments acoustic noise level is very high. Prolonged exposure to such noise results in damage to the hearing system and deteriorates other basic human systems. Therefore, according to the labor law the worktime during the day should be limited. On the other hand, the noise annoys workers on site, may be the cause of accidents, and makes communication difficult, thereby sufficiently reducing working efficiency. In general, if workers need to move, personal protection methods are the most effective and cheapest in terms of noise reduction. However, there are few applications up to date, which take care of communication. In the paper a prototype of NoiseCom - an earplug integrating passive and active noise control, speech enhancement and wireless communication is presented. With all the features it aims at protecting against noise and reproducing communication capabilities among a dynamically updated group of workers. Essential performance results are reported. It is believed that by its effectiveness, compactness, and ergonomy the developed solution can particularly be appreciated in hard industrial environments.