Microsoft is coming up with an answer to Apple's AirPods and Samsung's Galaxy Buds: the Surface Earbuds. The wireless earbuds can be controlled with a trackpad and work with Microsoft Office. They came about after scanning hundreds of different ears.
Hundreds of different ears scanned by Microsoft to arrive at the best ergonomic design for the Surface Earbuds.The tech company claims that you can put the earbuds in your ears all day, as they attach in two places in your ears. "We wanted to give the feeling that you can wear the earbuds all day because you don't notice they are there," Kait Schoeck, chief designer of the Earbuds, says in a video about the earbuds. It took Microsoft's design team three years to finalise the design. It resulted in earbuds that feature Cortana, Microsoft's virtual assistant, and touch sensors similar to the trackpad on a laptop. The Surface Earbuds can translate more than 60 languages in real time.
"The idea that you could be more productive with the earbuds in was an important requirement for us in the design process," Panos Pana, chief product officer, tells 'NowThis Futre'. "On the other hand, we also wanted a good fit, one that is so comfortable that when you go cycling or running, you would still barely notice that you have earplugs in." Schoeck: "The earplugs had to really 'blend in' with the person wearing them. In our research, we found certain 'contact points' in the ear, which allowed us to make not one but several contact points. As a result, you hardly notice they are there. We also quickly learnt about the centre of gravity and a fit that has to be stable enough to communicate with the earplugs. If you grab any geometric shape, it will never fit in every ear the same way. By choosing a circular shape, we were able to create an earbud that fits everyone."
Scans and models
The Surface Earbuds come with three pairs of interchangeable silicone attachments. This will allow 95 per cent of the population to wear the earbuds properly, according to the team. "We did hundreds of scans and measured thousands of ears to determine the most comfortable fit." Microsoft used scans of people's heads and bodies as well as silicone and truthful ear models to find out how the earplugs interact with the ear. "One of the features we looked at is the concha, the large opening in the ear. Another feature is the tragus, the piece of cartilage at the front of the ear. Finally, we looked at the ear canal," Several prototypes were made before the company arrived at the final product. "The first stage is finished, but we are already constantly thinking about possible improvements.
The Earbuds' batteries last 24 hours and come with a battery case that can charge the earbuds. The Surface Earbuds cost 249 euros and are already available in the US. When they will go on sale in the Netherlands is still unknown.
Source: NowThis Future/Bright.co.uk
