A bone conductor is a transducer that converts one form of energy to another. With the ILS, the properties of sound energy are converted to vibration. The bone conductor is placed at the top of the headphones and is powered by the ILS amplifier.
The inner ear is encased in a bony structure of the skull. Bone conduction (BC) refers to sound that is conducted as subtle vibration along the bones to the inner ear housing the organs of hearing and balance.
The sound vibration activates both the sensory organs of hearing and the organ of balance. The vibration, in fact, is carried through the entire skeletal structure.
Every time you speak, the sound of your voice vibrates throughout your whole body. The ILS makes use of this natural process by inserting a bone conductor into the top of the headphones. Through the unique qualities of the bone conductor one can both hear and feel the music.
Bone conduction is an important tool to increase activation to the vestibular system. This enhanced activation results in improved body awareness, balance, coordination and increased muscle tone. Bone is a good conductor of sound. The sound of operatic singers’ voices, for example, are carried through their entire body by the bones of their skeletal structures.
Placed against the ear, the bone-conducted sound is audible. Held between the fingers, the vibration may be palpable. The low frequencies of music have more acoustic power and generate more vibration than high frequencies. Therefore, lower frequencies will have a greater effect on body organization, and the sense of being grounded.
