Holosonics' Audio Spotlight Directional Speakers Installed in Virginia Tech's "Cube"

	The Cube is a four-story-high, state-of-the-art theater and high-tech laboratory.

The Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology (ICAT) at Virginia Tech created the Moss Arts Center to bring together arts, design, engineering, and science in a unique collaborative environment. Holosonics's Audio Spotlight was brought in to assist with the most impressive feature of this collaborative space: a highly adaptable four-story-high, state-of-the-art theater and advanced tech laboratory called "The Cube." The Cube has been used for immersive environments, performances, installations, and experimental investigations of all kinds.

Having a high-tech multimedia space that can be used across various departments required an AV system that was well designed, highly functional, and extremely flexible in order to be adapted and re-configured easily. Audio Spotlight directional speakers were the perfect fit for this innovative audiovisual system design. The ICAT design team used nine of Holosonics' AS-24i Audio Spotlight speakers to create dimensional zones of sound field control, providing a palette with which to manipulate sound.

The system was designed both to accommodate and promote spatial experimentation. Using the Audio Spotlight technology, sounds can be precisely placed anywhere within the space, to push the limits of immersive 3D audio, or to provide isolated sound fields and unique listening experiences at specific locations.

"The sound component is interesting; they're going to use wave field synthesis to convey the sense of space for all the users at the same time. Additionally, they're going to utilize Holosonics speakers that create a very precise spotlight of sound that can be targeted to individual people in the space; they can have their own unique sonic experience," reports ICAT media engineer, Tanner Upthegrove.

Virginia Tech recognizes that students crave an engaging learning experience. Having a unique and powerful collaborative space powered by Audio Spotlight technology such as The Cube, helps them attract students to the university, and provides their students with the best opportunities and experiences during their time there.

The Audio Spotlight system creates focused beams of sound by using a narrow beam of ultrasound as a "virtual" sound source. While ultrasound itself is outside the range of human hearing, this innovative technique causes the air itself to change the ultrasound's "shape" as it travels. This change leads to the creation of clear sound that the company says "can be directed to a precise location, with directivity and control far exceeding any traditional loudspeaker." This directional audio technology is regularly used for enhancing a wide variety of commercial applications including museums and galleries, digital signage, retail displays, trade exhibits, and art installations around the world. Holosonics was a partner in bringing this unique collaborative research and performance space to life.