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A photonic microphone with better-than-human-ear sound quality

Project description

Bridging the human ear gap with new microphone technology

In our digital age, microphones are ubiquitous, yet they fall short of mimicking the sensitivity and range of the human ear. Despite advancements, no microphone matches the human ear’s ability to perceive sound below 0 dB SPL, sense up to 130 dB SPL and capture a bandwidth of 20 kHz. In this context, the EIC-funded PIONEAR project aims to revolutionise microphone technology with a miniature device surpassing human ear sound quality. The microphone will use a novel sensing technique called chromometry, integrating electronic, micro-mechanical and photonic technologies. PIONEAR anticipates profound impacts across various sectors. From consumer electronics to autonomous vehicles, this innovation promises programmable directivity and unprecedented selectivity, akin to human hearing.

Objective

Microphones play an increasingly important role in how we communicate and perceive the world in our ever more digital and virtual lives. They have developed tremendously in the past decades in terms of size and cost and are now ubiquitous in consumer electronics as well as in professional and industrial applications. Yet, despite all this progress, microphone technology falls short of perceiving audio as well as the human ear: No microphone has self-noise 0 dB SPL (defined as the threshold of human hearing), the capability to sense sounds up to 130 dB SPL, and with a bandwidth of 20 kHz.

The main objective of PIONEAR is to create the proof-of-concept of a novel miniature microphone with better-than-human-ear sound quality. It will be enabled by a radically new chromometric sensing solution, that PIONEAR will develop by integrating electronic, micro-mechanic and photonic technologies.

To realise this new sensing technology PIONEAR brings together a unique consortium of 4 research partners and 3 SMEs from across Europe, all of which are leading experts in their field, e.g. in manufacturing the special vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSEL), fabricating the miniature acoustic chamber and membrane and assembling and packaging of the whole device with the highest precision.

We expect PIONEAR to have a profound impact across multiple sectors: Armed with arrays of microphones that have very low noise, devices will be able to listen with programmable directivity and unprecedented selectivity, enabling products with intelligently selective, human-like, hearing. Applications range from consumer electronics and hearing aids to autonomous robots and vehicles, and environmental monitoring. Moreover, the underlying sensor concept is not limited to microphones. We expect that it will offer similar performance improvements in a broad range of sensor categories, e.g. pressure and ultrasonic sensors, biochemical sensors, gas and aerosol sensors, and accelerometers.

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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HORIZON-EIC - HORIZON EIC Grants

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) HORIZON-EIC-2023-PATHFINDEROPEN-01

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Coordinator

LUMIARY AB
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 543 125,00
Address
VIKE 309
871 92 HARNOSAND
Sweden

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SME

The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.

Yes
Region
Norra Sverige Mellersta Norrland Västernorrlands län
Activity type
Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
Links
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 543 125,00

Participants (4)

Partners (2)

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