Acoustic helmet photographed on March 31st, 1936

Acoustic helmet photographed on March 31st, 1936. In the mid-1930s, the ONRSII’s physics laboratory was working to improve their acoustic horns, these extended ears designed for army scouts. Georges Mabboux improved the horns’ walls, allowing for their acoustic reflection to gradually improve while their acoustic transmission decreased when moving from the wider opening towards the narrower one. The goal was to reduce background noise inside the horns and make them more efficient. On March 20th, 1934, Georges Mabboux applied for a patent for the device, which was issued on May 1st, 1939. However, in the meantime radar research made a breakthrough in detection techniques, rendering the horns obsolete and almost frivolous. Mabboux’s acoustic helmet was the result of these experiments. It was primarily intended for the hearing-impaired, providing two enhanced ears. Extrait du livre Inventions 1915-1939 de Luce Lebart. Extract from the book Inventions 1915-1939 by Luce Lebart.