Audio Spotlight by Holosonics  

Watertown,  MA 
United States
https://www.holosonics.com/

• Booth: 1248

Share sounds, not germs with Touchless Audio Spotlight Directional Sound

People everywhere have become increasingly cautious about the objects they come into contact with in their daily lives and, as a result, “touchless technology” is more important now than ever before. For over two decades, Audio Spotlight SoundBeam® technology from Holosonics has provided touchless directional sound in a wide range of directional sound applications throughout the world.

Audio Spotlight sound beaming technology provides a safe, sanitary, and touchless interactive audio solution. Our no-touch sound beaming device with Bluetooth and motion sensor options eliminate the need for people in public spaces to use inferior devices such as headphones, handsets, or listening wands that have been repeatedly handled by other users.

In museums, older technologies such as headphones and handsets are often re-used by hundreds of people or more in the span of just a single day. Simply cleaning such devices with anti-bacterial or anti-viral products does not guarantee an item has been adequately sanitized. Additionally, if a patron knows that he or she will need to use a hand-held device as part of an exhibit tour, they may be less likely to go to museums.

“We’ve seen many articles and reports online that highlight the unsanitary nature of using traditional hands-on devices such as headphones for audio tours in museums and other public settings,” said Dr. F. Joseph Pompei, Founder and CEO of Holosonics. “People may be surprised to learn that the foam used in headphone cushions is like a sponge that absorbs body moisture and allows the transfer of skin cells, biological material, germs, bacteria and viruses that can potentially transfer from one user to another. The touchless and sanitary directional sound that Audio Spotlight delivers is a much safer alternative compared to hands-on devices like headphones.”     

As a result, businesses like museums are seeking ways to quell public fears and eliminate unsanitary devices by providing touchless audio narratives. Since 2000, thousands of Audio Spotlight systems have been installed in a wide range of applications around the world, as thousands of companies have chosen this unique, patented, touchless technology to provide high-quality, precisely controlled sound, while preserving the quiet.

 Videos

 Press Releases

• Audio Spotlight X-Series Delivers a 100% Increase in Audio Output and Produces a Wider Range of Lower Frequencies (Apr 12, 2022)

  

  Holosonic Research Labs, Inc., announced the launch of the X-Series Audio Spotlight in the Fall of 2021, the company’s next generation of touchless directional sound technology. Compared to Holosonics’ legacy directional speaker products, X-Series Audio Spotlight delivers a 100% increase in audio output level, enabling listeners to hear sounds clearly in more environments, in addition to a wider range of lower frequencies with improved overall sound quality. As the company that invented directional sound over 20 years ago, the launch of X-Series Audio Spotlight marks a new chapter in Holosonics’ storied history as a pioneer in the field of ultrasound generated audio technology.

  “The launch of our X-Series Audio Spotlight was driven by the excellent relationships we’ve built with our clients who sought to obtain a more powerful directional sound speaker at an affordable cost – you asked 
  and we delivered!”

  Holosonics’ new X-Series Audio Spotlight, which is available now in three different models, creates a tight, narrow beam of sound that can be controlled with the same precision as light to deliver all of the sound and none of the noise™. When aimed at the desired listening area, X-Series Audio Spotlight uses patented technology to create a beam of ultrasound that delivers audio that is 10x more isolated than the sound produced by any other speaker in the marketplace. Without making any changes to the popular form factor and sleek look of its products, everything behind each speaker’s cover has been completely redesigned to optimize performance, longevity, and versatility. 

  “As Holosonics continues developing techniques to bolster our award-winning suite of products, we are very pleased to unveil this enhanced technology to the world and to make it available to our valued customers without any increase in the price of our speakers.”

  X-Series Audio Spotlight technology will be available in three exciting new speaker models at launch: the AS-168iX, AS-16iX, and AS-24iX, all of which include built-in amplification and real-time signal processing, balanced and unbalanced audio inputs, on-board playback via microSD, flexible VESA 100mm mounting inserts, and much more.  

  The new X-Series Audio Spotlight speakers, which can be customized to include motion-detected audio playback and/or Bluetooth audio streaming, are the perfect touch-free focused sound solution for a wide range of venues and applications, including museums, galleries, exhibits, kiosks, digital signage, retail displays, and OOH advertising. Flexible and self-powered, X-Series Audio Spotlight speakers are a powerful tool, ensuring isolated audio that captivates listeners with an immersive, personal listening experience—while keeping them safe, and the surrounding area quiet.

• “Boom”! Touchless Audio Spotlight Technology Ensures Safety and Captivates Exhibition Visitors (Apr 12, 2022)

  At the annual "Boom" exhibition in Saxony, Germany, more than two dozen AS-168i Audio Spotlight directional sound speakers were placed strategically throughout an open floor layout of visual displays to provide sanitary, touchless directional audio narratives for attendees at 25 select positions, and to encourage safe social distancing. Visitors at the event were captivated by Audio Spotlight’s revolutionary directional sound beaming technology in an exhibition that celebrated 500 years of the state’s industrial heritage.

  For its use in museums and galleries, the flexible and self-powered Audio Spotlight directional sound speaker is a powerful tool, ensuring that any exhibit has its own isolated audio, engaging visitors in an immersive, personal experience, while keeping the surrounding area quiet.

  Faced with the changed social landscape brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, museum and gallery directors are rethinking exhibit designs and audio delivery systems to ensure the safety of patrons as well as staff members. By implementing social distancing measures and touchless technologies such as Audio Spotlight, unsanitary devices such as headphones, handsets, and listening wands have quickly become antiquated relics of the past.

  Audio Spotlight, while already a popular choice for adding focused sound beams as precise as a beam of light, has become an even more valuable tool owing to its inherently touchless design that delivers personalized audio experiences without requiring any physical contact by the listener. 

  The “Boom” exhibit, which is run by the Saxon state government, included decals on the floor in front of various displays to guide patrons to the exact spot where Audio Spotlight directional sound narratives could be heard. From these positions, attendees were entertained and educated by stories that described topics such as the automotive, railway, and textile production histories of the Saxony region. 

  By using Holosonics’ patented directional speaker technology for the event, our installer partners at KP Media GmbH were able to isolate sound to specific displays that were in very close proximity to each other. Audio Spotlight’s touchless technology was also particularly critical during the event to help attendees maintain social distancing as the COVID-19 pandemic was still ongoing when the exhibition opened in July 2020.

  

  “The stations with sound were very close together and headphones were not provided because they would have created a sanitary concern, as well as disrupting the exhibition’s overall appearance… The event’s interior designer wanted a technical solution that was as invisible as possible, which made Audio Spotlight the perfect solution.”

  The exhibition, which was held in the Audi Building in the city of Zwickau, focused on the beginnings, the highlights, and the future of Saxony's industrial development. Audio Spotlight technology was featured in more than two dozen of the hundreds of exhibits at the event. Through displays of rare paintings and other works of art, valuable documents, unique technical devices, photographs, films, and media installations, the exhibition offered a broad cultural and historical panorama of industry in Germany.

  Contact us to learn more about how our Audio Spotlight directional sound technology can benefit your projects in the same way it enhanced the experience for visitors at Germany’s “Boom” exhibition as well as a wide variety of other settings that include retail stores, libraries, hospitals, airports, and many other locations throughout the world.

  

• Horn Man' Musician Exhibit Comes Alive with Motion-Activated Audio Spotlight Focused Sound Fields (Apr 12, 2022)

  At the Wood Museum of Springfield History exhibit Horn Man: The Life and Musical Legacy of Charles Neville, several AS-168i Audio Spotlight directional sound speakers provide sanitary, touchless directional audio playlists that highlight the musician’s proficiency in a range of musical genres. Visitors to the exhibition at the museum in Springfield, Massachusetts are dazzled by Audio Spotlight’s revolutionary directional sound beaming technology in an exhibition that promotes social distancing as it pays tribute to the late saxophonists’ life. 

  Engaging visitors in an immersive, personal experience while keeping the surrounding area quiet, the flexible and self-powered Audio Spotlight directional sound speaker is a powerful tool that ensures any exhibit in a museum or gallery has its own isolated audio. 

  

  To protect the health of patrons as well as staff members, museum and gallery directors are rethinking exhibit designs and audio delivery systems due the changed social landscape brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Unsanitary devices such as headphones, handsets, and listening wands have become antiquated relics of the past as exhibit venues everywhere have implemented social distancing measures and touchless technologies such as Audio Spotlight. 

  By requiring no physical contact from the listener, Audio Spotlight – already a popular choice for adding focused sound beams as precise as a beam of light – has become an even more valuable tool owing to its inherently touchless design that delivers personalized audio experiences. 

  Known onstage as “Charlie the Horn Man,” R&B and jazz musician Charles Neville was born in 1938 in New Orleans. Influenced early in life by the New Orleans’s music scene, Charles and his siblings formed the Neville Brothers, who became best-known for songs that embraced rhythm and blues, gospel, doo-wop, soul, rock, jazz, funk, and the sounds of Mardi Gras. 

  At the Wood Museum exhibit, Holosonics’ patented directional speaker technology was used to isolate sound for patrons who are directed by floor decals indicating where to stand to hear music activated by motion sensor triggers embedded in the Audio Spotlight units. Each individual playlist in the exhibit’s five AS-168i speakers includes a selection of songs that highlight different points in Neville’s journey as a musician. The playlists are comprised of a five-minute selection of songs that focus on the music and artists that influenced Neville during a particular time of his life as well as recordings of Neville’s music.

  “This exhibition that celebrates Charles Neville’s life and music would not have been complete without sound and we are happy to include the unique Audio Spotlight technology to enhance the visitor experience... ”

  Contact us to learn more about how our Audio Spotlight directional sound technology can benefit your projects in the same way it enhanced the experience for visitors at the Wood Museum as well as a wide variety of other settings that include retail stores, libraries, hospitals, airports, and many other locations throughout the world.

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  “Charles Neville has been remembered as an incredibly warm and giving individual, and we hope that the directional speakers reinforce the intimate nature of this exhibition, while at the same time providing up to five visitors in the gallery the opportunity to experience directly the music which so defined him.”

• Holosonics’ sound technology a perfect fit for highlighting the creative genius of Leonardo da Vinci (Apr 12, 2022)

  The Max Planck Institute for the History of Science (MPIWG), with the Museo Galileo and the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, chose the innovative technology of the Audio Spotlight from Holosonics to highlight the world of Leonardo da Vinci in their exhibition “Leonardo’s Intellectual Cosmos.” As a great inventor of creative machines, it was only appropriate that the exhibition used revolutionary directional audio applications to immerse visitors in Leonardo’s life and work. 

  Holosonics’ Audio Spotlight AS-168i was featured in multiple areas throughout the exhibition that reconstructed Leonardo’s lost book collection. Visitors could have an immersive, personal experience with Leonardo’s books and reproductions of codices, artworks, and objects in a safe, touchless experience thanks to Holosonics’ patented technology that utilizes isolated audio while keeping the surrounding area quiet. 

  

  Museums and galleries worldwide have found Holosonics’ Audio Spotlight is the perfect solution for their venues and prefer this innovative technology over the now antiquated headphone-enabled audio. Holosonics debuted the Audio Spotlight as a touchless solution before the Covid pandemic, but just like Leonardo, it is now clear they were ahead of their time.

  The exhibition “Leonardo’s Intellectual Cosmos” was open at the Staatsbibliothek ze Berlin, Dietrich Bonhoeffer-Saal, from May 11 to July 17, 2021. Learn more about the exhibition here

• Share Sounds Not Germs With Touchless Audio Spotlight Directional Sound (Apr 12, 2022)

  People everywhere have become increasingly cautious about the objects they come into contact with in their daily lives and, as a result, “touchless technology” is more important now than ever before. For over two decades, Audio Spotlight SoundBeam® technology from Holosonics has provided touchless directional sound in a wide range of directional sound applications throughout the world.

  In public places everywhere, building managers, museum curators, hospital administrators, and other property facilitators are now faced with the significant challenge of replacing antiquated germ-tainted devices that are shared by people in these settings. The possibility of seriously and/or lethally spreading infection among tenants, patrons, patients and everyone these people subsequently come into contact with has become a new reality in 2020 and there are wide-ranging social, ethical, and legal ramifications to exposing people to contamination.

  View fullsize

  

  Audio Spotlight sound beaming technology provides a safe, sanitary, and touchless interactive audio solution for museum exhibits, hospital rooms, libraries, airports, retail stores, visitor centers, and kiosks, just to name a few. Our no-touch sound beaming device with Bluetooth and motion sensor options eliminate the need for people in public spaces to use inferior devices such as headphones, handsets, or listening wands that have been repeatedly handled by other users.

  For example, in museums, older technologies such as headphones and handsets are often re-used by several, and in some cases hundreds of people or more in the span of just a single day. Simply cleaning such devices with anti-bacterial or anti-viral products does not guarantee an item has been adequately sanitized, and frequent, periodic treatment is not practical when dozens of guests interact with the devices every hour. Additionally, if a patron knows that he or she will need to use a hand-held device as part of an exhibit tour, they may be less likely to go to museums, libraries, or any other facility that utilizes these systems. 

  Improve the Audio Guide Visitor Experience by Eliminating Traditional Sound Devices

  

  “We’ve seen many articles and reports online that highlight the unsanitary nature of using traditional hands-on devices such as headphones for audio tours in museums and other public settings,” said Dr. F. Joseph Pompei, Founder and CEO of Holosonics. “People may be surprised to learn that the foam used in headphone cushions is like a sponge that absorbs body moisture and allows the transfer of skin cells, biological material, germs, bacteria and viruses that can potentially transfer from one user to another. The touchless and sanitary directional sound that Audio Spotlight delivers is a much safer alternative compared to hands-on devices like headphones.”     

  As a result, more than ever before, businesses like museums are seeking ways to quell public fears and eliminate unsanitary devices by providing patrons with touchless audio narratives. Since 2000, thousands of Audio Spotlight systems have been installed in a wide range of applications around the world, as hundreds of companies have chosen this unique, patented, touchless technology to provide high-quality, precisely controlled sound, while preserving the quiet.

  For its use in settings such as museum exhibits, the flexible, self-powered, touchless Audio Spotlight directional speaker is a powerful tool that delivers isolated, immersive audio in a private listening experience while keeping the surrounding area quiet, clean, and safe. Audio Spotlight provides hands-free directional sound in public spaces that eliminates the need to use tethered headphones that are unsanitary, unsafe, and cumbersome. 

  To learn more about some of the many settings in which Audio Spotlight technology has been implemented to resolve the need for touchless directional sound, click on the case studies below:

  Williams College Museum of Art

  England's Exeter Library

  North Carolina's Mission Hospital

  Nike's New Flagship Store in New York City

• A “Magical” Integration in Istanbul (Apr 12, 2022)

  A “Magical” Integration in Istanbul

  Audio Spotlight enhances the sound, safety and design in a new museum

  Holosonics’ patented directional speaker technology is seamlessly employed throughout a variety of exhibits in the recently unveiled Istanbul Cinema Museum to bring an immersive as well as safe, touchless sound experience to visitors of this highly celebrated cultural destination. A total of ten AS-168iX Audio Spotlight directional sound speakers were installed to enhance the museum’s interactive exploration of Turkey’s film industry.

  Audio Spotlight speakers are a smart and popular choice for museums. Emitting sound beams as precise as a beam of light, the speakers can be used in areas that are close together because while the listener is immersed in sound, the surrounding area is quiet. Plus, their inherently touchless design delivers personalized audio experiences without requiring any physical contact by the listener, which today is an indispensable quality. The Istanbul Museum opened in February 2021, when the highly transmissible Omicron variant was causing COVID infections to surge.

  “We completed the installation during the pandemic, so the importance of conveying information touch-free provided a huge benefit in terms of hygiene... The Audio Spotlight technology allowed us to condense a very diverse audio visual content into a relatively narrow space. Plus, their lightweight and sleek design did not distract from the exhibit.”

  In one area of the museum where visitors can discover the history of certain camera models and the movies made with those cameras, four AS-168iX speakers are used in kiosks that are close to each other. Each speaker is angled so that the sound beams up towards the listener at each kiosk but cannot be heard by visitors at the surrounding stations. 

  In another installation, three AS-168iX speakers were mounted to the ceiling in front of a large screen where three separate movies are projected simultaneously. The speakers direct the soundtrack for their corresponding visual to a specific listening area, so listeners can have a personalized audio experience without the distraction of hearing the soundtracks for the other projections.

  Another example of a creative and efficient application of Audio Spotlight’s directional sound is the museum’s interactive greenscreen exhibit. Here, visitors enjoy casting themselves into iconic films, complete with a personalized audio experience. Two AS-168iX speakers direct the audio for their scene to the stage so that it does not disturb the other visitors in other areas of the museum. 

  

  The museum’s high-profile opening in February 2021 was attended by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, prominent Turkish actors and actresses, and world-famous celebrities like Jason Stratham and Guy Ritchie. The opening followed an extensive two-year renovation of the Atlas Theater, the historical building that houses the museum. The renovation was part of a wider project to establish the Beyoğlu district, the area that links renowned sites such as Atatürk Cultural Center and the Galata Tower, as a cultural hub. 

  Showcasing Neoclassical influences in its impressive ceiling decorations, marble fireplaces, and plaster reliefs, the museum’s restoration and the integration of modern technology was a delicate balance. Thankfully, the Audio Spotlight’s “speaker surfaces blended in with the exhibit seamlessly to provide a clean overall look. From the perspective of design, having a unit that blends in with the overall design was crucial,” Alpay stated. With their adaptable design, unparalleled directional sound technology, and inherently touchless features, it’s clear why Audio Spotlight speakers are the preferred choice for museums today.

• Safe & Sound: Experience Touchless Audio at the AAM MuseumExpo (Apr 12, 2022)

  Visit Audio Spotlight by Holosonics at Booth 1248 during the AAM Museum Expo to experience the future of touchless directional sound technology!

  Audio Spotlight speakers are a smart choice for museums and are rapidly replacing antiquated and unsanitary headsets. Emitting sound beams as precise as a beam of light, the speakers can be used in areas that are close together because while the listener is immersed in sound, the surrounding area is quiet. Plus, their inherently touchless design delivers personalized audio experiences without requiring any physical contact by the listener, which today is an indispensable quality.

  People everywhere have become increasingly cautious about the objects they come into contact with in their daily lives and, as a result, “touchless technology” is more important now than ever before. For over two decades, Audio Spotlight SoundBeam® technology from Holosonics has provided touchless directional sound in a wide range of directional sound applications throughout the world.

  Audio Spotlight sound beaming technology provides a safe, sanitary, and touchless interactive audio solution. Our no-touch sound beaming device with Bluetooth and motion sensor options eliminate the need for people in public spaces to use inferior devices such as headphones, handsets, or listening wands that have been repeatedly handled by other users.

  In museums, older technologies such as headphones and handsets are often re-used by hundreds of people or more in the span of just a single day. Simply cleaning such devices with anti-bacterial or anti-viral products does not guarantee an item has been adequately sanitized. Additionally, if a patron knows that he or she will need to use a hand-held device as part of an exhibit tour, they may be less likely to go to museums.

  “We’ve seen many articles and reports online that highlight the unsanitary nature of using traditional hands-on devices such as headphones for audio tours in museums and other public settings,” said Dr. F. Joseph Pompei, Founder and CEO of Holosonics. “People may be surprised to learn that the foam used in headphone cushions is like a sponge that absorbs body moisture and allows the transfer of skin cells, biological material, germs, bacteria and viruses that can potentially transfer from one user to another. The touchless and sanitary directional sound that Audio Spotlight delivers is a much safer alternative compared to hands-on devices like headphones.”     

  As a result, businesses like museums are seeking ways to quell public fears and eliminate unsanitary devices by providing touchless audio narratives. Since 2000, thousands of Audio Spotlight systems have been installed in a wide range of applications around the world, as thousands of companies have chosen this unique, patented, touchless technology to provide high-quality, precisely controlled sound, while preserving the quiet.

  To pre-book a demonstration of the Audio Spotlight in advance, contact us today.

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