AllEars

What it does

Earbuds are practical for wheelchair users, allowing hands-free calls, voice assistant use, and music. AllEars are compact earbuds designed for users with limited hand dexterity, offering enhanced ease of use and secure, all-day wear.

Your inspiration

Inspired by a young tetraplegic who enjoys listening to rap music but is on his seventh pair of Airpods because they just slip through his fingers , I recognized the design shortcomings of conventional earbuds for people with limited hand dexterity. My goal was to create compact earbuds that remain pocket-sized, but optimize them through form and function to ensure accessibility and usability for people with dexterity challenges or other physical impairments.

How it works

AllEars feature a variety of surfaces, edges, grooves, and recesses to provide a wide range of gripping options, while maintaining the compact size and sleek aesthetics of modern wireless earbuds. This enables all users to comfortably insert and adjust their earbuds with ease. The ear hooks are inspired by eyeglass temples, making less fiddly to put them on the ear than conventional earbud hooks due to their inflexibility and simplified way to put on. Designed to stay on throughout the day, their open-ear design leaves the ear canal free for maximum all-day comfort. The geometry follows the Fibonacci proportions, reflecting natural facial and ear dimensions, and is scaled to fit the average ear for a perfectly balanced and comfortable fit. Lastly, thanks to magnetic elements and an optimized removal mechanism, taking them out of the charging case is also simplified.

Design process

The design process consisted of a semester of brute-force prototyping, starting with cardboard cutouts and later moving to 3D printing. I worked closely with the Swiss Paraplegic Centre in Nottwil, tested my designs in situ with clients, and asked them for advice. The first stage was a prototype focused solely on the act of removing the earbuds from the case. I wanted to simplify this step. Testing at the paraplegic centre quickly led me to the conclusion that the general shape (and also the size—though I aimed to keep them small for better portability) of the earbuds was the main issue. So I reworked my design. During this process, I noticed that putting on eyewear is very straightforward and easy, which inspired me to mimic this in my earbuds. While 3D modeling, I further refined the geometry to ensure better grip.

How it is different

The design is unique because it combines the practicality of standard earbuds with features that support users with limited hand mobility. Grippy surfaces, magnetic handling, and an easy-to-remove charging case simplify everyday use, making the product more inclusive without compromising on size, comfort, or aesthetics.

Future plans

The design remains a concept for now, due to its technical complexity and very high manufacturing cost. But im open for the future.

Awards

The design won the DA!-Festival award 2025 in Zagreb, making 3d place in the Industrial design section. https://da-festival.hr/izlozba/allears/