These remarkable headphones were designed by Royal College of Art graduate Gemma Roper to clip comfortably to a cycling helmet and play music through the wearer's cheekbones, so they are still able to listen out for vehicles whilst they are also enjoying their favourite tunes. The technology is hardly new of course (we all remember those toothbrushes that allowed you to listen to pop songs through your cheekbones whilst you brushed your teeth right?), but this is the first time it's been used in such a noble and interesting way.
The Safe+Sound headphones play music through the wearer's cheekbone
Roper, who studied on the RCA's Design Products course, created the "Safe+Sound" headphones after noticing a large number of cyclists wearing earphones while travelling on London's busy roads. She saw this as a potential safety issue, and her solution was to design a pair of headphones that transmit vibrations through the wearer's cheekbones to the inner ear. This way, the music arrives to the listener as an extra layer of sound, rather than blocking out outside noises entirely.
The headphones allow wearers to listen out for vehicles whilst they're listening to music
The modular headset houses two bone-conduction transducers, which convert electricity into vibrations. Each are placed beneath a neoprene pad that is porous enough to transfer the sound. These modules attach to the straps of cycling helmets with silicone clasps, and are positioned to sit comfortably on the wearer's cheekbone. The modules can be popped into aluminium cases, using the silicone straps to attach them to a headband and allow them to be adjusted up and down.
Safe+Sound Headphones
Initially made as a prototype for her own use, Roper developed the model by taking apart and rewiring existing pairs of bone-conducting headphones, that lacked any aesthetic appeal. Her aim was to create a set that were stylish and safe, and that could also be used more conventionally for use on and off the bike.
Roper developed the model by taking apart and rewiring existing headphones
Although adequate volume is provided through bone conduction, however, the designer admitted that the sound quality of the headphones requires further development, so the headset is currently still in the design stage. The general public has already had a chance to try out the headphones though, as they were presented at the Show RCA 2015 graduate exhibition in London, which took place from 25 June to 5 July.
The headphones were presented at this year's Show RCA graduate exhibition in London
Of her creation, Gemma Roper said: “Eliminating your sense of hearing puts you and others around you at enormous risk. Yet I can completely understand the desire to move to music.” She saw an opportunity to combine bone-conduction headphones and traditional, fashionable headphones, adding: “Bone-conduction headphones already exist but they are targeted at a tech market and are pretty unattractive in comparison with other headphones. Products concerned with improving safety often compromise on their aesthetic, but it seems to me that if you want people to adopt something that will improve their safety, it needs to be aesthetically pleasing and desirable.” In the future, she added: “I would like to work with an audio engineer to refine the type of speaker membrane. I think that with better quality components the sound could be improved dramatically.”
