The human ear never rests. Scientific research shows that the ear continues to grow throughout life. The ear canal also changes shape subtly over the years, something that is widely recognised within the industry. Research by Elacin, specialist in customised hearing protection, confirms this view: after five years, the first signs of sound leakage appear. To continue to guarantee comfort and protection, hearing protection must be replaced. This insight formed the starting point for an ambitious innovation project with Pipple. Together, we developed Elacin4Life: a solution whereby customers automatically receive new, fitting earplugs after five years, without having to come back for a measurement or appointment. A major step forward in ease of use, customer experience and sustainability.
Data as key to innovation
From factory workers to motorcyclists and festival-goers: a perfectly fitting earplug makes all the difference in comfort and protection. The only drawback is that hearing protection must be custom-fitted. This requires time, planning and physical presence. Bas Fleskens, Managing Director of Elacin: ‘Fitting remains a barrier. Whereas customisation offers enormous advantages in all other areas. So we started to ask ourselves: how can we simplify this process without compromising on quality?’
Since Elacin switched to fully digital production in 2015, all ear measurements have been recorded digitally. This has resulted in a unique dataset: thousands of ear canals, with multiple measurements taken over a period of years. It is precisely this data that formed the basis for Elacin4Life. ‘We already knew that the ear canal changes,’ says Bas. ‘The question was: can we also understand how that change occurs and then predict it? That way, we can make follow-up measurements unnecessary.’
A mathematical challenge at the limits of possibility
Within the joint project team, Pipple contributed in-depth mathematical, data and AI expertise. Elacin added extensive domain knowledge and kept a sharp focus on what actually delivers value for customers and the organisation.
‘When we started, we thought: how hard can it be?’ says Bas. ‘But it soon became clear how complex this issue is. Modelling ear canals is a complex mathematical challenge. The ear canal is completely organic, unique to each person and even different on the left and right. There is no standard shape, no fixed reference point and no simple way to compare measurements over time one-to-one.’
It was precisely this complexity that made the project interesting. ‘We are really at the frontier of science,’ says Bas. ‘That requires mathematical depth, but also pragmatism. We had to recognise patterns without simplifying reality. And at the same time, we had to meet strict quality requirements, accreditations and standards.’
Step by step towards a predictive model
Pipple and Elacin worked in short iterations, with regular updates and lots of substantive discussions. Sometimes a direction led nowhere, sometimes it led to a breakthrough. ‘The pace was deliberately slow,’ says Bas. ‘We would take a break now and then, then continue with a fresh perspective. That suits this type of innovation. Pipple really felt like a partner in this: thinking along with us, being critical and always focused on the next step.’ Gradually, a model emerged that can recognise patterns in changes to the shape of the ear canal and translate them into a reliable prediction. Good enough for a first generation and solid enough to build on.
From innovation to practice
Elacin4Life went live three months ago, followed by an official launch a month later. Around 2,000 customers are now using this new approach. Quality monitoring closely examines rejections, complaints and returns. So far, these have remained at the same level as for traditionally fitted earplugs: an important confirmation of the reliability of the model.
Although this is only the first generation and further refinement will follow in the coming years, the impact is already clear. For Elacin, it represents a distinctive innovation that no one else offers in this way. For customers, it means less hassle and more confidence in customisation.
Equal partners
Both parties view the collaboration between Elacin and Pipple as very positive. ‘Pipple is a fantastic partner to explore this with,’ says Bas. ‘They are flexible, constructive and actively contribute ideas. They also dare to ask critical questions. That makes us truly equal partners.’
A new project team is now working on the next phase: processing a third measurement moment. The ambition? Hearing protection that grows with you throughout your life. An innovation that shows what is possible when data, mathematics and practical knowledge come together.
