Hotspot-Seeking Speakers

These High-Volume Speakers Focus Sound To Specific Areas

Marcos Simon, a PhD candidate at the University of Southampton, has developed a high-volume speaker system that is capable of projecting high-volume audio to specific spots in a room. If you've ever been in a situation where you're watching TV with a group of people and one of them likes to have it turned up really loud, you'll know how this kind of invention might be useful.

These high-volume speakers are actually designed keeping in mind senior citizens who suffer from hearing loss. The system consists of an array of eight loudspeakers arranged in a line -- a line array -- that can focus hot spots of sound to specific areas.

In tests, the array was shown to increase partially def people's ability to understand played-back human speech by 30% without disturbing non-deaf people seated nearby.
Trend Themes
1. High-volume Speaker Systems - Opportunity for disrupting the audio industry by developing speakers that can project high-volume audio to specific spots in a room.
2. Targeted Sound Technology - Opportunity to innovate in the audio technology sector by creating systems that can focus sound to specific areas, improving the listening experience for individuals with hearing loss.
3. Assistive Audio Solutions - Opportunity to provide innovative solutions for senior citizens with hearing loss, such as the development of high-volume speakers designed to enhance their ability to understand speech.
Industry Implications
1. Audio Equipment - Disruptive innovation opportunity in the audio equipment industry through the development of high-volume speakers that can project sound to specific spots.
2. Healthcare Technology - Opportunity to disrupt the healthcare technology industry by creating targeted sound systems that can assist individuals with hearing loss.
3. Assistive Technology - Opportunity for disruptive innovation in the assistive technology sector by developing assistive audio solutions for individuals with hearing impairments, particularly senior citizens.

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