Project description
Clearer, purer sound thanks to game-changing solid-state speaker technology
Consumers are demanding increasingly realistic and immersive sound experiences in the comfort of their homes. The fundamentals of speaker technology have not changed significantly over the years. Moving parts, particularly a vibrating diaphragm, place limitations on the portion of the audible frequency range that speaker drivers can reproduce, distorting sound and producing an altered version of the original. The Irish SME Sonarc Innovations has developed the world’s first full audio-range speaker technology without any moving parts for a step-change in clarity, purity and accuracy of sound reproduction. The EU-funded Sonarc Speaker project is helping the team prepare for commercialisation.
Objective
Sonarc Innovations have created the world’s first full audio range speaker technology without any moving parts, providing clarity immersive and power sound from a smaller size whilst reducing manufacturing costs and complexity. Sonarc Innovations are targeting the €17Bn home audio market, with the ambition of becoming the new standard in speaker driver technology, providing precisely controlled panels of micro speaker devices for the accurate creation of immersive, high spatial resolution sound environments, allowing listeners to experience a richer and realistic sound, when compared to today's bulky, low spatial resolution speaker technology. Sonarc Innovations is applying for the Horizon 2020 programme under the ‘Innovation in SME’s’ SMEInst-01-2016-2017 Open Disruptive Innovation Scheme phase 1, the overall objective for this innovation project is to bring to market a novel and inventive speaker technology with industrial applications (as stated in the written opinion of PCT international patent search authority August 2017 on Sonarc technology) superseding existing speaker driver technology across a wide range of user applications from immersive audio to portable devices. Revenue from licensing/partnership APT for specific applications will finance ongoing EU based innovation at Sonarc Innovations, enabling the creation of high value, knowledge based employment. This will allow the EU to stay at the forefront of this emerging and expanding technological field and area of research. Sonarc Innovations will focus on the development of new and innovative commercial applications for the APT, including miniaturisation for portable and mobile devices, creation of omnidirectional and directional products, optimization of existing technology around power efficiency and sound power levels and the continued growth of the IP underpinning APT.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1Coordinator
DUBLIN 8
Ireland
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.