Throat Microphone - History

History

In 1934, aviator Wiley Post incorporated earphones and a throat mic into the design of the world’s first pressure suit to explore the limits of high-altitude, long-distance flight. During World War II German Luftwaffe pilots and panzer crews used the first throat microphones. Soon after, they were adopted by American air forces, (USAF with the T-20 and T-30 and the UAF with the Mark II). Later, Soviet pilots relied on LA-3 and LA-5 models.

Starting in the 1970s, researchers explored the use of throat microphones in speech therapy, especially to relieve stuttering.

Of course, throat microphones have still maintained their presence in the military, SWAT, law enforcement, and emergency services. Newer single-transducer designs are available that make the throat microphone much more comfortable to wear than earlier units and also better balance transmission quality. Additionally, this next generation of throat microphones provides varying outputs and frequency responses to accommodate a wide variety of professional communication devices such as digital and analog portable radios and TETRA & P25 systems.

In 2009 Mad Catz released the first "throat microphone" for game consoles as a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2-branded Xbox 360 accessory. It should be noted that these devices (usually marketed as "throat communicators") are not true throat microphones, since they have no contact microphone (which is designed for sound waves traveling through solid objects) and simply incorporate a throat-mounted, open-air microphone. These therefore will still pick up background noise from and cannot transmit whispers.

In 2012, Astra Radio Communications released its T24 "throat microphone" which is the first throat microphone compatible with the new digital two way radios in United States.

Several throat microphones now exist for mobile phones, including iPhone.

Read more about this topic:  Throat Microphone

Famous quotes containing the word history:

    The history of mankind interests us only as it exhibits a steady gain of truth and right, in the incessant conflict which it records between the material and the moral nature.
    Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)

    Classes struggle, some classes triumph, others are eliminated. Such is history; such is the history of civilization for thousands of years.
    Mao Zedong (1893–1976)

    Jesus Christ belonged to the true race of the prophets. He saw with an open eye the mystery of the soul. Drawn by its severe harmony, ravished with its beauty, he lived in it, and had his being there. Alone in all history he estimated the greatness of man.
    Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)