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 GN is joining U.S. firms Honeywell, 3M, as well as Sweden's Invisio,
which are working on products to protect soldiers' vision and
hearing.
"In a war situation, it's essential to be able to hear where voices
are coming from, where the sounds you need are coming from," the
head of GN Store Nord's hearing aid division, Anders Hedegaard, told
Reuters.
The new device provides noise protection, while giving 360 degree
sound identification and integration with military radio technology.
"When ... you are bombarded with noise, you need technology to help
you out of it," Hedegaard said, adding it would help ensure soldiers
returned from war zones without damaged hearing.
GN, a major supplier of hearing aids to U.S. war veterans, is
participating in U.S. military procurement tenders for the first
time this month.
Hedegaard said he did not expect significant revenue from the new
device this year, but it could grow in future.
"If by the end of 2018, we see that this worked I don't see why we
shouldn't continue at full speed and expand to other countries and
new business areas," Hedegaard said, adding it could be used by
others who worked in loud environments.
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GN, which started in 1869 as a telegraph firm, is best known for its
hearing aids, but also produces Jabra headsets and earbuds. The unit
has benefited from working with Apple on hearing aids that stream
from Apple devices.
The hearing aid unit accounts for 60 percent of GN's revenue, while
the audio division contributes 40 percent.
GN will produce the devices at its U.S. manufacturing site in
Minnesota. It did not disclose the price of the device.
($1 = 5.9771 Danish crowns)
(Reporting by Julie Astrid Thomsen; Editing by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen
and Edmund Blair)
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