The founding team of recalm comes from the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, the Christian Albrechts University in Kiel and the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences. The company is based in the Startup Port on Harburger Schloßstraße. recalm has developed an active noise-cancelling technology called ANCOR, which can be integrated into construction machinery, for example, and thus significantly reduces noise pollution. For this purpose, the start-up now offers various radio solutions as modular extensions.
recalm GmbH was founded in 2017 by Marc von Elling, Martin Günther, Lukas Henkel and Ralf Ressel. The idea for active noise reduction came to Marc in early 2016 in his flat in Hamburg-Altona. Regularly exposed to the noise of the fish market and the Reeperbahn, the vision was born there to block out noise at the touch of a button and without headphones in order to reduce stress and noticeably improve the quality of life. Together they developed a first prototype and successfully went through a series of private and public funding programmes (including EXIST). Since then, the recalm team has grown.
Prototype ANCOR with features
The year 2019 was an important milestone for the young company, as it was able to present the prototype of its own product ANCOR together with the companies elobau and Fritzmeier at both BAUMA and AGRITECHNICA.
In addition to ANC (Active Noise Cancelling), the start-up has also initiated the development of additional audio features that their ANCOR product will contain. These include, for example, a dynamic hands-free function, entertainment via Bluetooth and DAB+. In addition, recalm is developing RNC (Road Noise Cancelling) solutions for the automotive market.
Infotainment system now also offers radio communication
The ANCOR infotainment system now offers all radio solutions as a modular extension for the ANCOR infotainment system. Previously, drivers could conveniently make phone calls with ANCOR via smartphone, but now it is also possible to communicate via radio in the driver’s cab with a push-to-talk button that can be placed anywhere.
“Machine operators now have more operating freedom. They no longer have to interrupt the ongoing work process and reach around to operate a radio,” explains Alexander Banazsak, Head of Sales at recalm. “In addition, if a driver is listening to music or radio via ANCOR and a radio call comes in, the volume is automatically adjusted.”
Compatible with all radio solutions
ANCOR’s active noise cancellation remains active during radio communications, further reducing machine noise in the low-frequency range. This significantly improves the voice quality over radio. The recalm radio module can be combined with all radio solutions. From CB to company radio to 3M LiteCom and Protos BT-COM, all common radio standards are supported. “Machine operators can thus communicate freely with the control centre, other drivers and colleagues,” explains Banaszak.
The new radio module has already been used during forestry work in the English Garden in Munich, where diseased ash trees were removed with a walking excavator. The communication between the walking excavator driver and the responsible employees of the Bavarian State Forests took place on the one hand via recalm ANCOR and on the other hand via Protos helmets with the BT-COM radio module.
