Sensor Maker's Amazon-Certified Tech to Bring Voice Activation to Battery-Powered Devices

Acoustic sensor company Vesper said its Zero Power Listening (ZPL) technology was certified by Amazon for extended battery and far-field voice interactions. The company’s piezoelectric micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) mics are powering the first hands-free, extended battery life Alexa-enabled headset with ZPL, it said Tuesday. The VR headset, from Amazon original device manufacturer Ludran, is a two-mic Bluetooth neckband headset with Alexa built-in that allows users to interact with Alexa skills for music playback and smart home control, Vesper said. ZPL eliminates the button in push-to-talk devices and is said to bring voice activation to many types of battery-powered devices. Based on Ambiq's Apollo3 Blue Wireless SoC, the headset incorporates Vesper’s MV1010 MEMS mic with ZPL technology, allowing systems to be in energy-saving deep-hibernation mode until awakened by a wake word, it said, solving a need for stable, reliable and long-lasting mic arrays that operate in environmentally harsh surroundings.