Start-up aims to make sunglasses the new way to listen to music

Johannesburg - A start-up is looking to fund new technology which will enable users to listen to music through their cheekbone.

London-based Voxos will soon start a Kickstarter campaign to crowdsource funding to commercialise a pair of sunglasses which will allow the wearer to listen to music, answer calls and operate the iPhone’s personal artificial intelligence assistant Siri - all through bone conduction technology and without earphones. 

“The sound is transferred with bone conduction technology which leaves the ears completely free. The growing number of people being active outside also causes a higher number in accidents and with this device we want to prepare people for their journey and connecting them to everything they need,” Maja Köberl, spokesperson for the company, told Fin24.

Voxos is a team of seven people with experience in business and technology. They aim to provide a product that can make staying connected safer and more convenient in an ever-changing world.

Wearers will be able to hear real and digital worlds overlayed for the first time.

Bone conduction works by vibrating sound through the user’s skull as opposed to straight into the ear like standard earphones. The product is waterproof and with a battery life of 10 hours, is designed to be worn for extensive periods of time.

The device also features a touchpad on the right side which allows the user to interact with its main functions, without having to look at the screen. 

Functions that can be activated include an on device personal assistant, music, GPS/maps, calling, messaging, notifications and apps.