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Hearing Protection Optimization Tool Transforms How Users Choose Hearing Protection Devices

Software

Business Honor Hearing Protection Optimization Tool | Safe Sound Choice

Business Honor
09 December, 2025

HPOT provides personalized hearing protection recommendations based on real-world noise environments and user needs.

A new software platform, the Hearing Protection Optimization Tool (HPOT), is revolutionizing the way people choose hearing protection. Developed by Santino Cozza and Applied Research Associates, Inc., HPOT claims to reduce the complexity of choosing personalized hearing protection by taking into consideration each unique sound environment a user may be in.

The platform goes beyond classical noise reduction ratings, offering users personalized recommendations regarding real-world conditions. Factors such as sound intensity, exposure duration, and psychoacoustic characteristics like speech intelligibility and sound localization are taken into consideration. This allows HPOT to deliver more accurate and relevant HPD options.

HPOT asks the user to input information about the noise environment, and if measurements are not available, it can estimate exposure levels based on user descriptions. The site then cross-references that information with a database of regulatory-approved HPDs, providing visual comparisons of various devices to inform user choices.

Even though HPOT was originally developed to support military hearing protection, its applications go well beyond. From audiologists to workers and concertgoers who decide which earplugs to wear, this tool is indispensable for anyone concerned with hearing conservation. Additionally, it enables the user to account for factors such as mobility, communication requirements, and even cost within a very comprehensive and data-driven solution for hearing protection.

The HPOT team is already working on updates to support impulse noise environments and double hearing protection. Cozza sees HPOT as a prototype for future tools that will modernize personal protective equipment selection across industries by making smarter, personalized decisions easier for the user.