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Can you ear rumble?

We are exploring if ear rumbling can be used to interact with technology. We need your help to explore how well people can ear rumble.


News Story

Published on 23 Oct 2023 Last updated on 03 Nov 2025

When a small muscle in the ear (called the tensor tympani) contracts, you may hear a dull rumbling sound. This is known as 'ear rumbling'. Some people can voluntarily ear rumble by purposefully contracting their tensor tympani on-demand. This movement can be detected using a small camera inserted in the ear canal, which can then be used for interacting with devices as an input switch or 'ear click'.

We are looking to recruit participants aged 18+ who can voluntarily contract the tensor tympani muscle in their ear (are able to 'ear rumble').

If you are interested please visit our web page Ear rumbling: the participants’ project guide or send an email to earswitch@bath.ac.uk.

Enquiries

If you have any questions, please contact us.