TECHNOLOGY

Holographic Whisper Holographic Whisper

JAPANESE ENGLISH

「Holographic Whisper」は、超⾳波の焦点をつくることで何もない空中から⾳を発⽣させる⾳響技術です。 ⾳の発⽣位置、再⽣する⾳声、ボリュームをうまく切り替えることで、誰に何をどこから聞かせるかを制御できます。

Holographic Whisper is a sound technology in which sound can be generated in an empty space by creating a focal point of ultrasonic waves. What content can be heard by whom is controlled through appropriate switching of the position of sound generation, audio play, and volume.

映像の中で注意を向けたい⽅向から⾳声を聞かせたり、イベント会場の特定の場所を通ったときのみ情報を届けたりと、視覚情報や位置情報と連動した没⼊感の⾼い演出が可能になります。また音量を絞ることによる特定の人物にだけ音声を届けることができます。これにより秘匿性の高い情報伝達や、周囲への音漏れに配慮したコミュニケーションなどが可能になります。さらに超音波焦点の位置を切り替えることにより、複数の人物にそれぞれ異なる音声を届けることもできます。

It is possible to create a strong sense of immersion by coupled with visual information and location information, such as making the viewer hear sound from the direction one wants the person to pay attention to in an image or delivering information only when one passes by a specific location in an event venue. Additionally, it is possible to deliver sound to only a specific person by lowering the volume. In this way, it is possible to realize highly confidential information transmission or communication considering the leakage of sound to people nearby. Moreover, by switching the position of the focal point of ultrasonic waves, it is possible to deliver different audio to different individuals.

< Case >

< Case >

■Case 1.
従来の超指向性スピーカーでは、直線上に⽴っている⼈間すべてに聞こえてしまう。⽅向だけでなく距離まで特定して、ギャラリーの展⽰品の⽬の前にいる⼈にだけ固有の情報を伝えたい。 また、席数が多いカフェスペースが混雑している際は呼び出し⾳が聞こえづらくなるので、特定の席・テーブルの周囲に座っているお客様にだけハッキリと聞こえるような⾳を出せないか。

■Case 2.
映像と連動した⾳響演出を⾏なう際、視聴者に⾳を聞かせる⽅向だけでなく、「近くで鳴っている」「遠くからぼんやり聞こえている」という⾵に、⾳源との距離感も変えることはできないか。

■Case 3.
タクシーなどの⼩型⾞両の運転⼿が業務連絡を⾏なう際、備え付けの無線が乗客にまで会話が聞こえてしまう。お客様に不快感を与えずにハッキリと通話ができる技術はないものか。 また⾃家⽤⾞に家族で乗る場合、運転席にはカーナビの⾳声、後部座席には⾳楽を流すなどという⾳環境の切り分けもできるのではないか。

■ Case 1.
In the case of conventional superdirectional speakers, sound can be heard by all the people standing in one straight line. You want to communicate specific information only when the person is in front of an exhibit in a gallery by determining not only the direction, but also the distance. Moreover, because it is difficult to hear the name being called when a café space with many seats is crowded, you are looking for ways to direct sound only to a specific seat or table, so that the people around that location only can hear the name being called.

■ Case 2.
In case of presenting sound in conjunction with images, you are looking for ways to change not only the targeted direction for the audience, but also introduce the perception of change in distance from the sound source, such as a sound ringing close by or a sound that can only heard indistinctly as if far away.

■ Case 3.
When the drivers of small vehicles, such as a taxis, conduct operational reporting, the ensuing conversation over the radio installed in the car is overheard by the passengers. You are looking for a technology that allows clear conversation without annoying the passenger. In the case of a family riding in a private car, you are looking for ways to realize a sound environment boundary, such as car navigation sound that can only be heard from the driver’s seat while music is played only for the listeners in the back seat.

< 原理 >

< Theory >

■⾮可聴⾳をキャリアとして、End to End で⾳を届ける
超⾳波は周波数が極めて⾼いため、⼈間の⽿では聞き取ることができません。しかし超⾳波の⾳圧が⼗分に⾼いとき、空気の⾮線形性によって超⾳波以外の周波数が⽣まれる現象が知られています。その応⽤として、超⾳波を可聴⾳で変調しておき、空気中で可聴⾳が放射されるようにする技術が研究されています。 この原理と超⾳波の分布を制御する技術を組み合わせることにより、私たちは、⾳声を特定の位置にのみ届けることを可能にしています。

■ Delivering sound End to End with non-audible sound as the carrier
Because ultrasound has a very high frequency, it is not audible to the human ear. However, it is known that when the acoustic pressure of the ultrasonic waves is high enough, frequencies other than ultrasound are produced due to the nonlinearity of air. As an application of this, research is being conducted on technology to emit audible sounds in the air using ultrasound modulated with audible sound. We have been able to deliver sounds to a specific position by combining this principle with the technology for controlling the distribution of ultrasound.

■線ではなく点で⾳源を形成
私たちの技術では、複数並べた超⾳波振動⼦を適切な時間差で駆動させます。ひとつひとつの振動⼦が放射する超⾳波は弱いのですが、互いに⼲渉し、焦点を結んだときのみ可聴⾳を放射することのできる強度に達します。 ⾳源の位置を動かせるだけでなく、再⽣される可聴⾳のボリュームによって可聴範囲を拡⼤・縮⼩できるため、より細かいターゲッティングが可能になります。

■ Generating sound source not as a line but as a point
In our technology, we utilize multiple ultrasonic transducers, each of which is pulsed individually with different timing. Although the ultrasounds emitted by each of the transducers are feeble, by interfering with each other, they reach a level strong enough to emit audible sound only when a focal point is established. Even more detailed targeting is possible, because the audible range can be expanded or contracted by changing not only the position of the sound source, but also the volume of the audible sound played.

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