Tech entrepreneurs unveil 3D audio gaming sound bar at CES 2019

Acoustical engineers from the University of Southampton have revealed laptop-friendly 3D stereo sound bar at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

The research innovation is one of several demonstrations from the University’s Future Worlds start-up accelerator at CES 2019, one of the world’s largest technology shows.

Associate Professor Filippo Fazi and Dr Marcos Simón from the Institute for Sound and Vibration Research have developed the sound bar through the AudioScenic spinout.

The AudioScenic system uses destructive and constructive sound cancellation to deliver a perfect 3D experience. It is connected to the laptop’s webcam and uses image processing to track and optimise audio performance based on the location of the listener’s head.

“This laptop-sized sound bar will give gamers a 3D experience that they have never heard before,” co-founder Marcos says. “The level of miniaturisation and integration with the laptop’s audio system creates an unprecedented gaming experience, delivering captivating 3D audio without the need for uncomfortable and anti-social headphones.”

AudioScenic is spinning out the innovation from S3A Future Spatial Audio research, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The team are also demonstrating other models from their range at CES 2019, optimised for the desktop gaming and home cinema markets.

The Future Worlds Accelerator is the only UK university exhibitor for a fourth consecutive year at CES, which is being held across several venues in Las Vegas from Tuesday to Friday. CES annually attracts more than 180,000 attendees and 4,400 exhibitors, ranging from rising start-ups to tech giants.

The Future Worlds stand at CES 2019 also includes the launch of the world’s first disposable medical test that can simultaneously perform separate diagnoses from a single sample. These novel, cost-effective and user-friendly tests from University spinout Highfield Diagnostics are made possible by a laser-based approach that controls the flow of liquid samples via multiple flow channels.

Southampton student entrepreneurs are also promoting their start-up businesses at the trade show, including the BOON gift discovery platform and the Intro contact sharing app.

Future Worlds is based in Booths 51560 and 51562 of Eureka Park in the Sands Expo. You can follow daily updates from the team in a CES blog being published on the Future Worlds website.