Although Skyted’s voice-capturing mask was given a preview last week, I had to see it in person when I discovered the firm at CES 2024. Our earlier post covers all the technical details, but what does it feel like in person?
(Image Source: Techcrunch.com)
We’ve released a smartphone app that will tell you how big your “sound bubble” is. In an interview with TechCrunch at CES in Las Vegas, Gauthier Daridon, a connection engineer at Skyted, states, “For instance, you don’t want the person sitting next to you to hear what you’re saying if you’re on an airplane.” Therefore, at specific distances, our program will clarify that you are “perceptible” and “intelligible.”
Daridon spoke usually while displaying the mask. I could hear him rather plainly through a pair of headphones. From where I was standing, about three feet away, I could hear a faint murmuring but couldn’t make out the specific words without the headphones. A few paces distant, the murmuring vanished into the raucous clamor of the bustling exhibition area.
The company was established in 2021, employs about 20 people, and has raised $1 million in finance, half of which the French government has contributed. Angel investors and other smaller investors have contributed to the other half. The startup started a Kickstarter campaign this week, and so far, it has raised around $64k in donations and sold just under 300 masks.
I still need to figure out how useful this device is. I find it difficult to see many circumstances in which you have to speak without being overheard and in which it would be considered appropriate to wear anything similar. The group has various concepts:
We’re examining a range of clientele, namely companies and public areas like offices, where this would be beneficial. This would be a massive industry in places like call centers. For use cases like gaming, we are also considering B2C,” says Daridon. “Special Forces approached us asking us to create a mask for them so they could remain silent during situations where voice is not permitted.”
Until now, it appears to be a problem in search of a solution, but that’s the exciting thing about emerging technology sometimes: you have yet to learn where the potential is until you go through a Kickstarter campaign to find out. As the company strives to ship the first batch of products by the end of this year, I look forward to keeping a watch on it and its offerings.
In conclusion, A startup focusing on emulating Bane’s appearance for gaming represents a daring and inventive concept. Yet, its triumph depends on factors like market acceptance, the feasibility of incorporating Bane-like equipment into gaming, and the enduring popularity of this trend. Although it capitalizes on gaming’s immersive qualities, its sustainability over time is still being determined. Still, the startup’s vision pushes the limits of gaming interaction and has the potential to forge new paths in gaming technology and experiences.
(Information Source: Techcrunch.com)
