Custom earbuds made possible with 3D

Formlabs and 3Shape are partnering to create a full lifecycle for creating on-demand custom earbuds, with the Form 2 3D printer and Phoenix in-ear scanner.

The human body is one of the most custom and unique shapes, and the ear canal is no exception, a truly custom-fit earbud can provide long-term wear, comfort, stability, noise reduction and noise cancellation from the environment compared to current comfort headphones.

“We’re seeing 2018 as the year custom earbuds will be available to most consumers,” said Dávid Lakatos, chief product officer at Formlabs.

“This announcement marks a significant use case for 3D printed mass customization at the consumer level, but the implications of the technology go beyond headphones to include hearables,” he added.

The Formlabs and 3Shape partnership delivers a ready-made technology package that can be easily deployed in almost any mass market environment, reaching consumers where they already are to receive an on-demand custom in-ear product within a shopping trip.

This technology has broader reaching applications that previously were only available to audiophiles or performing artists, and open up a new earphone segment that does not exist today.