The collaboration brought together Audio3’s expertise in hearing science and audio engineering with LSBU’s capabilities in sensing, measurement and software development. The result was a functional motion-capture module that can detect head turns and estimate head position and orientation in three-dimensional space.

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Combining hearing science and audio engineering

Audio3 Ltd was founded in 2007 by Dr Bradford C. Backus, a research scientist with an academic background in speech and hearing biosciences, technology and electrical engineering. The company combines acoustics, electrical engineering, and psychoacoustics with research-led, data-driven product development.

Audio3’s mission is to improve sound enjoyment by understanding how people hear and using that knowledge to develop high-quality sound reproduction, hearing health and acoustic measurement instruments.

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The challenge

Testing the hearing of children aged three and under can be difficult. Traditional tests based on simple sounds may not always prompt a reliable response, while some children respond more readily to familiar nursery rhymes, theme tunes, or favourite songs.

This can be particularly challenging for children with social and communication delays, who may find it difficult to remain still, wear headphones or respond to sounds that do not hold their attention. Skilled audiologists can use music to identify behavioural hearing thresholds, but the changing frequencies and levels within music make responses difficult to quantify using conventional equipment.

Audio3 formed a working group involving Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, XED Ltd, CHEAR Ltd and LSBU to develop a novel audiometer capable of presenting and filtering music stimuli to help quantify hearing levels in young children.

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The collaboration

Audio3 began working with the LSBU innovation team in January 2023 and later joined the BIG Growth Innovation Programme. The business received 82 hours of support, including 75 hours of academic collaboration, five hours of workshops, and two hours of meetings.

LSBU supported the development of a software module for the audiometer. The module was designed to detect head turns and estimate the distance and orientation of a subject’s head in three-dimensional space, including the equivalents of roll, pitch, and yaw.

The project was led by Professor Perry Xiao from LSBU’s School of Engineering. The collaboration ran from March to May 2024 and focused on:

• Investigating techniques for detecting head turns, including options within LabVIEW

• Developing software to detect facial landmarks, head movement, distance and orientation

• Integrating Python-based computer vision functionality into LabVIEW

• Supporting Python virtual environments within the technical solution

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Developing the technical solution

When no suitable existing LabVIEW tool could meet the project requirements, the LSBU team developed a new approach using Python and found a way to implement it within LabVIEW.

Using the MediaPipe library, the software analyses webcam images to detect facial landmarks and determine head orientation. This allows the system to identify whether a subject is looking straight ahead or turning in another direction, and to estimate roll, pitch and yaw.

“When we developed the software code that can detect the head turns, it was particularly rewarding to see our technical solution come to life. By working with commercial organisations, we can put our knowledge and skills into solving real-life problems. This is very important for building our research reputation and can also help students learn valuable skills that enhance their employability.”
Professor Perry Xiao, London South Bank University

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Outcomes and impact

The collaboration delivered a functional motion-capture software module for Audio3’s audiometer and helped the company progress its wider music-based hearing assessment system.

The source case study records prototype devices installed at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital and CHEAR Ltd, alongside feasibility and pilot testing with children. This testing indicated that music audiometry can produce responses where more traditional stimuli may not.

The work also supported wider improvements for Audio3, including:

• Improved products, systems and services

• New knowledge-transfer activity following the support

• Improved processes and management practices

• A practical route for incorporating head-tracking and AI-assisted functionality into the audiometer

The company’s UKSPF productivity assessment also recorded an increase in productivity per hour worked from £10.35 in 2023 to £37.92 in 2024.

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Potential benefits for paediatric audiology

Audio3’s aim is to help audiologists assess hearing levels more accurately for children who may not respond reliably to conventional tests. A usable music-based hearing-threshold methodology could help reduce repeat appointments, support earlier treatment decisions and improve consistency in the use of music as a clinical stimulus.

“London South Bank Innovation has been critical for us in helping to realise some of the technical head-tracking ambitions of our project. The LSBU team connected us with computer science expertise and provided a quick and workable solution to our problem. We recommend LSBU innovation if you have an unsolved need. They can give you a leg up in your entrepreneurship journey."
Dr Bradford C. Backus, founder of Audio3 Ltd

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Academic and student value

The project also gave LSBU a practical example of academic expertise being applied within commercial constraints. For Professor Xiao and the wider team, the requirement for the module to work within LabVIEW created a useful real-world teaching example for engineering students.

“By working with the business, we can understand the business constraints of the project, such as the module having to work within LabVIEW. This is a very useful example to teach our students about doing a real-life project.”
Professor Perry Xiao, London South Bank University

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Looking ahead

Audio3 is continuing to work with the LSBU acoustics group and is aiming to take the product through clinical trials before an intended launch in the UK and, subsequently, the US. The source case study projects clinical trials for 2027, subject to the requirements of product development, intellectual property protection and medical device regulation.

The company’s wider ambition is to combine music-based audiometry, dedicated hardware, AI and head-tracking algorithms to provide hearing tests that better suit the needs of young children and children with social and communication delays.

“In my field, the complexity of current technology means that no one has the whole solution. Sometimes there are missing pieces that require expertise or research that academic institutions are uniquely positioned to deliver. Commercial and academic interactions can unlock value for everyone.”
Dr Bradford C. Backus, founder of Audio3 Ltd

“Stay focused. Find the people who share your desire to help others, because they will motivate you. Surround yourself with diversity and you will gain valuable perspectives and generate new ideas.”
Dr Bradford C. Backus, founder of Audio3 Ltd

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About the programme

The BIG Growth Innovation Programme connects South London businesses with academic expertise from London South Bank University and partner universities, delivering tailored collaborative support to help businesses innovate and grow. The programme is funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) by the Greater London Authority. The aim of the UKSPF was to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills.

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