Protection can interrupt conversation
Removing headphones may restore speech, but it can also restore the background sound the wearer is trying to manage.
HearMe
An upcoming local voice-intercom proof of concept for people who want to keep noise-cancelling or isolating headphones on while speaking with trusted people nearby.
Early-stage work. HearMe is not currently offered as a public service or safety-critical communication system.
The extra work hidden inside staying connected
For some people, reducing environmental sound is an important part of travelling, working or taking part in busy places. In a 2025 study of autistic adults, 73.5% of autistic participants reported using earplugs or headphones to manage sound environments.
Hear-through modes reopen the whole environment
Transparency features can be useful, yet they do not create a private channel for selected companions.
Nearby communication needs a lighter route
Messaging or internet calls can work, but they add screens, accounts or connectivity to a conversation happening only a few feet away.
A practical interface for selected communication
The PoC will bring a small set of local intercom controls into an Android app so the complete experience can be tested with participants, devices and realistic background noise.
Local session
A host starts a short-lived session for nearby participants on the same Wi-Fi or hotspot.
Simple joining
Participants use a QR code or manual local-network details rather than creating an account.
Full-duplex speech
The PoC will test natural two-way conversation rather than a turn-by-turn walkie-talkie exchange.
Mix-minus audio
Each listener receives the other active voices without hearing a delayed copy of their own speech.
Clear user control
Mute, push-to-talk and voice-activity options let participants choose when their microphone transmits.
Visible diagnostics
Route and network indicators help the pilot identify latency, packet loss and unsuitable microphone paths.
How the proposed setup works
The alpha uses a host-mixed star arrangement: one Android device coordinates a private local session and prepares a separate output for each participant.
01 / Participant
Selected microphone input
A wired, USB or built-in microphone captures speech in short audio frames under the participant's mute or voice-activity settings.
02 / Local network
Host mixer
Audio stays on the shared Wi-Fi or hotspot while the host aligns active streams and creates a mix for each listener.
03 / Listener
Mix-minus headphone output
The listener hears the selected nearby voices through their chosen headphones, excluding their own delayed voice.
The initial alpha uses uncompressed speech frames to prioritise a working local test. A later transport could use Opus once the core experience is reliable.
Responsible boundaries from the start
The pilot should test a useful communication route without obscuring device limits, environmental risk or the difference between an early prototype and an established service.
Local and ephemeral by design
No accounts, cloud backend or audio recording are planned for the alpha. Session state and audio buffers remain temporary.
Separate input is the preferred path
Wired or USB microphones are preferred because Bluetooth Classic headset microphones can reduce speech quality.
Latency must be measured
Wired output is the baseline for low-latency testing. Bluetooth output may be useful, but its delay must be assessed on real devices.
Environmental awareness still matters
The PoC does not replace alarms, announcements, traffic awareness or any situation where surrounding hazards must be heard.
No medical or protection claim
HearMe is not a medical device, hearing protection product, emergency service or substitute for professional advice.
Outcomes remain to be proven
Accessibility value, reliability, battery use and user acceptance will be measured rather than assumed.
What a pilot needs to discover
The purpose of the PoC is to learn whether the idea improves real nearby conversations, where it adds friction, and what a responsible next stage would require.
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01
Setup
Can a new participant move from installed app to joined session in under two minutes without specialist support?
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02
Conversation quality
Are speech clarity and delay comfortable enough for natural conversation with wired and Bluetooth outputs?
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03
Reliability
Can two people sustain a ten-minute exchange, and can the same design support four participants without crashes or loss of intelligibility?
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04
Sensory and social fit
Does the approach reduce sensory load without creating new discomfort, stigma or distraction?
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05
Hardware and safety
Which microphones, headphones and controls are acceptable, and are the limits understood in each test setting?
A pilot shaped with the right partners
HearMe needs practical challenge, participant insight and careful measurement alongside technical delivery. We welcome partners who can help define a useful, proportionate test.
Funders
Resource the learning
Support discovery, accessible participation, equipment, technical delivery and independent evaluation.
Accessibility organisations
Challenge the design
Help frame real needs, inclusive recruitment, safeguards and meaningful measures of value.
Android and audio specialists
Strengthen the local path
Bring mobile audio, networking, assistive technology, device testing and field reliability experience.
Participants and pilot settings
Ground the work
Test the proposition in realistic travel, workplace, event and public-space conditions.
Help shape a careful pilot
If your organisation can fund, challenge, strengthen or participate in the HearMe PoC, we would welcome a focused conversation.