According to a release by Atlanta-based Aware the company has received a $7.5 million program increase from the Army. The funding sits inside Army research and development and supports service-level fielding of Aware’s custom in-ear systems, built using 3D digital scans of a soldier’s deep ear canal. Aware Defense will lead execution in coordination with Program Executive Office Soldier, handling integration, unit-level deployment, and performance feedback across training and operational units.
“We are proud to see this initiative signed into law and grateful to the leaders who recognized the urgency of preventing hearing loss and the necessity of advancing biometric capabilities for the force,” said Sam Kellett, Jr., CEO of Aware. “This program increase accelerates the Army’s ability to deploy custom-fit hearing protection built from each soldier’s unique ear anatomy using Aware’s patented 3D ear scanning technology, delivering superior protection and exceptional comfort at scale.”
The focus is simple and overdue. Hearing damage remains one of the most common service-connected disabilities, with annual costs exceeding $4 billion according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Modern combat environments expose soldiers to constant blasts, gunfire, vehicle engines, and aircraft noise. Standard hearing protection often trades off between protection and communication. Aware’s approach is to block it entirely.
Each device is built from a 3D scan of the individual soldier’s ear anatomy, producing a custom in-ear solution that integrates with existing communications equipment, helmets, and over-the-ear devices. Beyond noise protection, the company is positioning the ear as a biometric sensing platform. For example, the recently announced a biometric wearable that acts as a non-invasive EEG monitor.
“By placing custom-shaped dry electrode sensors at the second bend of the ear canal’s conductive skin, we are opening new avenues for real-time brain data. Our approach, built on manufacturing techniques adapted from the hearing aid industry such as Aware’s 3D ear scanner, CAD modeling, and 3D printing, proves that mass customization is truly possible and sets a new benchmark for daily-use health devices,” said Jon Jowers, President of R&D at Aware.
By embedding biometric sensing into everyday protective gear, the Army gains access to continuous physiological data that can inform readiness, fatigue management, and long-term health outcomes.
Bert Steele, Chief Strategy Officer and retired Marine Corps lieutenant colonel, framed the mission clearly: “Protect the warfighter.” He said that the funding supports high-value technical jobs and long-term rural economic development while expanding future biometric capabilities that provide operational advantage.
