Cotral Lab's BANG hearing protection makes first public appearance at Milipol 2017.

« Beyond the succesful completion of a mission, the number one priority is for soldiers to come home safe and sound. Many things are done to protect a soldier’s life, not so much to protect their hearing”. That’s why the France-based Cotral Lab is developing BANG, an innovative system which is reducing the risks of hearing loss and being showcased for the first time at Milipol 2017.

Cotral Lab's BANG communication and hearing protection system at Milipol 2017

The ear is an advanced and very sensitive organ. However, it has not evolved fast enough to support all situations faced by modern soldiers and security forces. Earplugs that were created in 1939 to fight against noise-induced hearing loss are not anymore an answer for the soldier’s needs. In 2016, Cotral Defense & Communication, in partnership with well-known Institut Saint-Louis military research laboratory, introduced the BANG system.

BANG mainly consists of a pair of tactical custom earbuds. They feature a dynamic attenuation which adapts to the level of background noise with a clear and pleasant sound. With BANG, the operator enjoys a hand free, full duplex and crystal clear communication while perfectly protected from noise. The 3D sound is “respatialized” in order for the soldier to have a better understanding of which communication channel the sound is coming from.

Upon analysis of the user’s hearing ability, the system corrects slightly the sound on any frequencies whenever necessary.

Besides sounds, BANG collects the user’s health indicators in real time. Such information is critical to keep the soldier safe. Noise is also captured in and outside the ears to provide a fine analysis of the user’s noise exposure levels.

Cotral Defense & Communication is a start-up created by Cotral Lab, the #1 worldwide designer and manufacturer of custom-fitted hearing protection systems. For the past 25 years, Cotral Lab has been investing to become the world reference in manufacturing on in-ear devices that are perfectly comfortable and offer an optimal sealing.