Bose Research
We also do contract work with corporations. This was a research project at Bose working with a variety of their latest products.
The Client
Like many other large corporations, Bose does contract hiring of individuals to augment certain divisions of their company. What began as an individual contractor position (with Seth Berggren) eventually turned into a B2B contract between Bose and Inspira through a third party.
The Challenge
The purpose of this position was to assist Bose’s research division with firmware expertise on their wearable product line. Products that were worked on included:
- Bose NC-700 Headphones
- Bose Quietcomfort Ultra Headphones
- Bose Quietcomfort Ultra Earbuds
- Bose Ultra Open Earbuds
The Outcome
The products worked on were truly remarkable. The new technologies being developed as well as the workflow for managing so many developers at once was a valuable experience for Inspira and it was an honor to be an integral part of cutting edge research that pushes the boundaries of what is possible.
Technologies
Bluetooth
Working with the latest in Bluetooth technology, Bluetooth Low Energy, and LE Audio.
Noise Cancellation
Pushing the limits of possibility and competing with giants like Apple for noise cancelling dominance.
Spatial Audio
Creating immersive experiences through three dimensional audio over stereo configurations.
Multi-Point
Multi-Point connectivity allows multiple source devices to connect to the same headset.
Device Modes
The latest Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds support multiple listening modes, including Quiet (noise canceling), Aware (transparency), and Immersion (spatial audio). We contributed to the development by helping implement the logic and user flow for cycling through these modes. Our work helped bring a seamless, user-friendly experience to one of Bose’s most advanced personal audio products.
Touch Controls
We helped develop the touch control system on the Bose NC700 headset by working with firmware that interfaces directly with a custom-made capacitive touch module.
Our role involved implementing reliable detection of swipe gestures—up, down, forward, and back—as well as single and multi-tap inputs. We focused on ensuring accurate gesture recognition, responsive feedback, and smooth integration with the rest of the system to deliver a seamless user experience.
Collaboration
Working with large teams in a fast-paced environment can quickly become an organizational challenge. While collaborating on this project, we saw firsthand how structured workflows made a big difference in team efficiency.
Through the use of CI/CD pipelines, disciplined version control, and clear branching strategies, the organization kept developers aligned and reduced costly mistakes. Automated testing and parallel development were key takeaways we now bring to our own process to help developers stay fast, focused, and synchronized.