How Kadena Air Base Is Advancing Hearing Conservation with The Empress3D

Jet engines are among the loudest machines on earth. For the maintainers who keep them running, noise isn’t an occasional hazard, It’s their daily working environment. That reality is driving a new approach to hearing protection at one of the U.S. Air Force’s most strategically important installations.

Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan is evaluating custom hearing protection engineered to help maintainers communicate clearly in high-noise environments while preventing long-term hearing damage – but custom earpieces are only as effective as the impressions behind them. Traditionally, creating physical impressions required a certified audiologist or IDMT to travel on-site—drastically limiting how easily service members could be fitted for hearing protection. The Empress3D’s digital approach eliminates messy silicone injected into the ear canal, requires zero curing time, saves on raw materials, and offers a far less invasive experience that cuts downtime dramatically.

If you’re certified to operate an otoscope, you can use the Empress3D

Designed to offer the best user experience possible, this ultra-light scanner streamlines custom fitting without logistical bottlenecks. As a Class 1 medical device, The Empress3D eliminates the requirement for an on-site audiologist; anyone trained to use a standard otoscope can operate it with complete confidence.

That accessibility matters in a military setting where hearing conservation programs must scale across large populations, rotating personnel, and multiple installations. The work underway at Kadena Air Base shows what that commitment looks like in practice, and The Empress3D is proud to play a part in it.

See how The Empress3D can support your hearing conservation program. Schedule a virtual demo at https://www.aurality.com/schedule-a-demo/