About Us

Objective

The objective of RTH is to create and develop new technologies in the fields of acoustics and audio and transition them to commercial products through partnerships with existing manufacturers, IP licensing and IP sales. In particular, RTH strives to improve quality of life through improved hearing protection, enhanced hearing and hearing conservation systems. (An RTH trifold brochure may be downloaded below.)

Company Profile

Red Tail Hawk (RTH) Corporation is owned and operated by John W. Parkins, Ph.D., who established the company in September of 2000 with his brother, David Parkins, to solve problems in the area of acoustics including active noise control (ANC), hearing protection, hearing enhancement, transducer design, audio processing and wireless communications.  

Dr. Parkins has over 28 years of experience in acoustics at Bose Corporation, Penn State University, MIT and RTH and has served on SBIR grant review panels and journal review panels for JASA, IEEE, IJAV, J. Sound and Vibration and Noise-Con and has contributed to RTCA standards. Dr. Parkins' Ph.D. dissertation involved digital feedforward multi-channel ANC to quiet aircraft interiors. His academic work is referenced in many refereed journals and books. 

Funding

RTH has been funded, primarily, through the Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program and licensing agreements. Since 2000, RTH has been awarded over $7M in government contracts including 1 IDIQ, 8 Phase I, 6 Phase II, 3 Phase I Option, 1 Phase II Option and 1 Phase II.5 contracts. Of the 6 Phase II contracts, 2 have successfully transitioned to Phase III through commercialization in industry and one is ongoing. All of these projects have involved improved hearing protection, hearing monitoring and enhanced hearing.  

Facilities

Facilities at RTH include: 125 dBA diffuse acoustic chamber for testing hearing protection and active noise control systems, anechoic space for testing hear/talk-through systems, head and torso (KEMAR) simulator with ear and voice simulators, 3-D printer for fabricating custom molded earplugs and prototype plastic parts, spectrum analyzers and other electronic test equipment, vacuum oven, pressure chamber for molding, vibration and accelerometer test equipment, electronics rework station  as well as other equipment.