**Introduction** Mobilus Labs (formerly named Noto Technologies LTD) is a company dedicated to developing a new generation of hands-free voice communications systems that exploit the principle of bi-directional bone conduction. This technology enables users, wearing personal protective equipment (ear defenders, safety helmets, respirators), to hold normal conversations with people and devices. Mobilus' lead product is a modular clip-on communication module that retrofits to the rear of a standard safety helmet and enables the user to access voice based systems (communication, voice control) regardless of their surroundings. The aspirational concept is a product that enhances the safety and productivity of people working in the construction/industrial sector. **Innovation** This concept is intrinsically novel, while parties have integrated bone conduction into consumer products Mobilus is unique in developing an industrially focused device for the PPE sector with two-way voice comms. Furthermore, the business has developed extensive IP and knowhow in the technologies required to ensure the appropriate quality and differentiation of wanted and unwanted acoustic signals in the presence of extreme noise. **Project motivation** Mobilus has developed an advanced prototype of the Mobilus solution using investor and Innovate UK funds (project \#9045, project-end: November 2019), this hardware unit is now the focus of commercial exploitation outside the remit of this application. However, the performance of the commercially available transducer components being used is currently limiting the true potential of the larger solution. The business needs to research, design, and develop their own bi-directional bone conduction transducer in order expand commercial growth and meet user expectations which include: * Hands free full-duplex voice communication (versus Push-to-Talk interfaces) * Ear-free compatibility with industry standard PPE * Resilience to environmental noise above 100dB * Resilience to high levels of Electromagnetic interference * Acoustic power efficiency to enable a device to last for a full 14 hour shift on a single charge. The motivation for this project is to enable the company to conduct a programme of technical research and development to develop this novel bi-directional bone conduction transducer that fully exploits the benefit of the Mobilus ear and hands free industrial communication platform. This R&D will enable the business to conduct crucial applied research and testing, supported by leading industrial actors and a set of expert subcontractors with vital access to expertise and facilities needed to develop and validate the Mobilus system.

Noto Technologies (trading as Mobilus Labs) is dedicated to developing a new generation of hands-free voice communications systems that exploit the principle of bone conduction hearing. This well known method is based on sensors in contact with the skull just behind the ears. Crucially, bone conduction systems enable the user to hear and speak to communications systems while the ear remains unobstructed. Mobilus are exploiting this principle and are focused on developing communications systems that people can use while they are wearing personal protective equipment, such as hard-hats or breathing respirators. Mobilus is currently focused on developing a bone conduction communication module that clips onto the standard headband of a hard-hat. This clip-on module makes it possible for the wearer to have a normal phone conversation, while wearing ear defenders, regardless of the level of background noise in their vicinity. Mobilus has developed an advanced prototype of the communicator using investor and Innovate UK funds (Open project #9045, completed December 2019). The success of this project has led to a surge in demand with multiple requests for extended field trials in the industrial sector, specifically applications for Construction, Transport, and Energy. This also includes a signed supplier agreement with a US conglomerate to integrate the Mobilus audio technology into their "smart hard-hat" product which integrates augmented reality smart glasses (Microsoft Hololens 2) into a hard hat for remote expert applications. The outcome of the previous IUK funded project enabled the company to demonstrate its core bone conduction wearable technology to a TRL 5. Further R&D in multiple parts of the tech stack is required before the product is fully ready to be deployed in operational environments. These areas of further R&D include: Improvements to the bone conduction microphone for operation in environments with noise above +95dB. Embedded hands free and speech recognition interface. Software defined radio application development R&D to meet international standards, such as ATEX, for operation in Hazardous Locations. Prepare design for manufacture (DFM) of Mobilus wearable. The Covid-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the company's ability to raise sufficient investment from outside investors, as investor confidence has dissolved globally. The enclosed Innovate UK loan enables the business to resolve immediate cash flow challenges and provide vital match finance to complete the R&D to meet the expectations of commercial clients.

Mobilus is an early stage, investor backed, past Innovate UK grant recipient. Due to Covid-19 investor confidence has dissolved. This grant enables the business to be resilient and respond to this pressing opportunity. Mobilus is an innovative company that has developed a hand and ear free “intelligent walkie talkie” that is intended for use by staff in restrictive environments (construction & heavy industry setting). The vital innovation in this approach is to avoid the need to access the ear and mouth by using bone conduction technology to capture and record audio signals. In practice the Mobilus device is based on sensors that are in contact with the skull just behind the ear. The major benefit of this approach is that users can have a normal conversation, with a remote person, while wearing personal protective equipment such as ear defenders and face masks. Mobilus has also developed novel software to support team communication, the Mobilus platform enables the teams to have a voice based “whatsapp” style feature. i.e. users can be included in pre configured “voice teams” such that a person's voice is broadcast to different teams to reflect working structure. E.g. Team A: immediate colleagues, Team B: crane operator etc... Mobilus has been contacted by doctors that face significant communication challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Strict infection control procedures (restricted room access, constant use of PPE) has a serious negative impact on team communication. They have asked Mobilus to develop a communications product for the clinic. The current Mobilus product has been developed to clip onto industrial hard hats and industrial users. Mobilus is seeking to conduct an urgent programme of R&D (i.e. this project) to develop and new clinical PPE compatible communicator that is compatible with: ● Common clinically used visors, masks and respirators ● Clinical user needs, i.e. the software is suitable for use by doctors and has an interface and features that are suited to the hospital environment. The scope of the project will also include extensive beta testing of prototypes in clincal environments as well as design for manufacture (DFM) to expedite the route to market.

NOTO Technologies Limited "NOTO", trading under the name of Mobilus Labs, is a business that is focused on developing products that enable people to talk to each other regardless of their setting. NOTO's ambition is to create personal communicator or "wearable walkie talkie" style product that can be integrated into clothing and/or equipment to provide seamless voice communication. NOTO's first product, outside the scope of this project, is the OCTOtalk system that is built into diving/snorkelling mask and enables divers and snorkelers to talk underwater and share their experiences in real-time. A critical aspect of NOTO's technology is to carefully design the speaker and microphone and electronics to enable two people to have a clear conversation regardless of the noisy or unusual sounds in their immediate vicinity. NOTO's objective, and focus of this project, is to translate their technology from the above aquatic application into system that can be used to integrate voice communications into the clothing used by people working in industrial environments, commonly referred to as personal protective equipment or PPE. NOTO's vision proved a voice communicator, built into a hard hat, that will enable two construction workers to have a normal conversation while operating noisy machinery (i.e. jackhammer). To make his product possible, the research and development team have set a technical objective of enabling two workers, separated by at least 200 metres, to conduct a normal conversation while stood next to a noisy pieced of machinery. If this is possible, this project enables NOTO to launch their technology into a market that it worth $20 billion globally.