Continuing to improve on the commercial success of the Audio Spotlight® sound system, Holosonics has announced that its next-generation laser-like sound system, with improved performance and lower cost, is now actively in production. These new systems are being exhibited at the 2004 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas alongside MIT Media Lab technology.

The Audio Spotlight, invented by Holosonics founder Dr. F. Joseph Pompei while a graduate student at MIT, uses ultrasonic energy to create extremely narrow beams of sound that behave like beams of light. By "shining" the sound to one location, specific listeners can be targeted with sound - without others nearby hearing it. This degree of sonic control, unmatched by any other sound system in the world, permits a wide range of new audio applications – from retail and museum displays to personal television viewing. In 2003, Pompei was awarded a “Top Young Innovator” award from Technology Review Magazine for his achievements.

“In recognizing our steadily growing markets and manufacturing capacity, we’ve redesigned the system to be more easily manufactured at a high scale – and at a lower cost. The technology is now even more accessible to customers wanting to satisfy both low and high-volume applications,” said Pompei.

The worlds top companies, museums, and institutions can attest to the utility of the Audio Spotlight. Its performance and reliability have made it the choice of the Smithsonian Institution, DaimlerChrysler, Motorola, Kraft, Cisco Systems, and the Boston Museum of Science. “While several other groups have attempted to copy our device, the Audio Spotlight is still the only system in the world successfully used in real, commercial applications.”

Dr. Pompei and his staff will demonstrate the Audio Spotlight technology in CES booth #22905, South 4, Upper Level, from January 8th through 10th.

About The International Consumer Electronics Show

The International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is the world's largest annual tradeshow for consumer technology and America's largest annual tradeshow of any kind. The International CES features products—and the companies that create them—from many different consumer technology markets, in 1.3 million net square feet of exhibit space.

About Dr. F. Joseph Pompei

Beginning his career in acoustics at 16 as the youngest engineer at Bose Corporation, Joseph Pompei continued at Bose while earning a degree in Electrical Engineering with an Electronic Arts minor from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Recognizing the importance and underutilisation of spatialised sound, he decided to pursue research in psychoacoustics at Northwestern University, earning a Master's degree. Acutely aware of the limitations of traditional loudspeakers, he had the idea of using ultrasound as an acoustic projector, and has now developed such a device, called the "Audio Spotlight" at the MIT Media Lab, continuing his education to earn a Ph. D. Holosonics was founded to commercialize the technology, and remains the world leader in directed audio solutions.

Contact information:

Dr. F. Joseph Pompei
phone: 617-924-1576 x3
press@holosonics.com

Audio Spotlight® is a registered trademark of Holosonic Research Labs, Inc.