Bone Conductor Headphone Speaker Breakout Board

What is it?

Bone conduction is a technology that transmits sound vibrations directly through the bones of your skull, bypassing the outer and middle ear to deliver audio signals to the inner ear. This method allows users to hear audio clearly while still keeping their ears open to surrounding environmental sounds, making it popular in hearing aids, certain types of headphones, and other specialized audio devices.

One of the most exciting aspects of using this bone conductor breakout board is the unique sensory experience it offers. Since bone conduction bypasses the outer ear, users may perceive the sound as if it’s coming from nowhere—seemingly resonating from within their own head. This can be a surreal and cool sensation, especially when the surrounding environment is quiet, as the audio feels more personal and intimate, almost like a private sound system that only they can hear. It’s a novel and immersive experience, making it perfect for surprising or delighting users in creative projects, whether it's for silent audio playback, secret messaging devices, or simply experimenting with a new way to interact with sound.

This bone conductor breakout board offers a unique way to experiment with and implement bone conduction in various projects. The board features a 3.5mm audio jack on one side for easy connection to standard audio devices, and a bone conduction actuator on the other side to transmit sound via bone conduction. For more versatile applications, the board also includes 2.54mm male headers, allowing users to interface with other microcontrollers or audio sources, bypassing the 3.5mm jack. It also has 2 x M2 screw holes for mounting purposes.

The header pins have the following pinouts:

• IN: Single channel input, can be the left or right sound channel of your audio.
• GND

This compact, easy-to-integrate breakout board opens up a world of fun and innovative possibilities.

Some unique use cases include:

Custom bone conduction headphones: Create your own personal or experimental set of bone conduction headphones that can be driven by standard audio devices like phones or MP3 players.

Silent alerts or notifications: Incorporate bone conduction into wearable devices that deliver silent notifications or alerts through vibrations, ideal for users who need a subtle form of communication.

Hands-free audio projects: Add bone conduction to helmet-mounted audio systems or other headgear to deliver sound while keeping the ears free for situational awareness.

Assistive technology projects: Integrate this breakout board into DIY hearing aids or other assistive devices that rely on bone conduction for users with certain types of hearing loss.

This breakout board is perfect for makers looking to explore bone conduction technology in a wide range of creative applications.