Smart helmet innovator from M’luru gains global attention for unique headphones

Mangaluru: When Navajith Karkera first tinkered with ideas during his engineering days at Sahyadri College of Engineering, little did he know that his innovation journey would soon grab global attention. It all began with a smart helmet project, developed alongside his batchmate Jagath Biddappa and a team of students. Their prototype went on to win accolades at a national-level competition.
Karkera, now co-founder and CEO of Rapture Innovations, told TOI that after graduation, the team was keen to commercialise the smart helmet. The seed funding from the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, and initial interest from taxi and logistics companies kept their hopes alive. But they faced challenges around pricing and partnerships with helmet manufacturers, he said.
While working on enhancing the helmet's audio features, Karkera and Jagath, (co-founders) experimented with sound being experienced not just through the ears, but felt through the body. Further experiments went on to lay the foundation for their next big innovation for eargasmic experiences.
He said, "In Feb 2019, we experimented with 3D-printed headphone prototypes embedding this technology. Friends and audio enthusiasts who tried them appreciated the experience. Encouraged by the overwhelming response at demo kiosks and events, we realised they had something truly unique, and thus was born Sonic Lamb headphones that allow users to feel the music through their bodies, not just hear it."
"Over three years, the team perfected the product, developing more than 15 prototypes, refining the hybrid driver technology, and benchmarking Sonic Lamb against leading premium headphone brands," he said.
Designed and engineered in India through Rapture Audio Labs and fine-tuned in Denmark, Sonic Lamb was one of only seven startups globally selected for the SoundTech accelerator programme by Sound Hub Denmark. The Karnataka govt recognised it among the top 100 startups in 2022, and it was also named among the top 75 promising startups in India under the department of science and technology's Nidhi Prayas programme. They also won the Best Young Innovations Award 2015, conferred by Harsh Vardhan, former Union minister, and the Gold Award 2018, conferred by Dr Harkesh Mittal (NSTEDB). They were incubated at Deshpande Startups, Hubballi.
Sonic Lamb's audio technology is now patented in India, the US and China, with patents pending in 23 other countries. The innovation is backed by a strong network of investors and mentors from tech giants like Google, Qualcomm, Microsoft, Bose, and B&O. This year, Sonic Lamb also won funding from Shark Tank India, said Karkera.
"Our first 500 orders last financial year came from outside India. Now, we are working on integrating this technology into vehicle seats to allow passengers to physically experience sound while driving," said Karkera.