OwnPhones will be the first venture to produce custom-fitting 3D printed earbuds.
There is a massive 3D printing industry today producing custom dental pieces. We believe custom earbuds could be a similarly large market, if OwnPhones can pull it off.
Each earbud will be custom 3D printed based on a design obtained by 3D scanning your ear. It’s so personalized you’ll have to scan both your left AND right ears (assuming you have two). No more pain from awkwardly fitting mass-produced earbuds, as these will be built to fit ONLY you.
The 3D scan will be performed by you through the use of an ingenious smartphone app. The app will measure the key dimensions of your ear components. As you can see in this image, the measurement will be done by including a standard coin in the image. (We’re wondering if this means you can use the app only in certain countries?)
The earbuds themselves will include wireless Bluetooth 4.0 and will be priced between USD$299-499. During the crowdfunding launch, we’re expecting the price to be as much as 50% off.
There will be three components to an OwnPhone: the internal custom structure that matches your ear; the standard electronics; and the exterior styled case. This is where OwnPhones will shine: you will be able to select from a huge variety of different colors and styles (including precious metals) to match every occasion.
That’s not all. The company also intends to provide an advanced service, OwnErgonomics, which will match the interior materials with your intended use (including physical activity, etc.) for maximum comfort and function. They say:
From the basic version, users can add OwnErgonomics, a system that allows them to specify their activity profile, whether running, snowboarding, parkour, etc. With this information, OwnPhones then combines motion capture analysis data and a mechanical simulation for the selected activity to help determine the materials, some softer to act as a shock absorbing area and some more rigid to keep the earphones in place, needed to construct the earbuds so they stay snug and safe in the user’s ear (according to the user’s activities and intensity level).
Can you buy them today? Not yet, you’ll have to wait for their official launch in July. You might consider signing up for notification at their site.
Via OwnPhones
