Centre Pompidou

Studio 13/16 in the Centre Pompidou of Paris was created as a place for teenagers to come together and collaborate, while also encouraging independent creativity and innovation. The large open space lent itself very well to collaboration, but needed that something extra that would foster independence, and the creation of unique atmospheres within a larger environment. Utilizing Audio Spotlight systems, aimed precisely at various lounging areas within the studio, the Centre Pompidou was able to bring a personal touch to the environment. Teenagers using the space can plug their mp3 players into the Audio Spotlight systems, so they can listen to their own music while only feet away from someone who is listening to something entirely different, or concentrating in a quiet atmosphere.

Museum of Fine Arts

Using the Audio Spotlight sound system, Boston's Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) was able to incorporate "runway" music into its "Fashion Show: Paris Collections" exhibit without intruding on the peaceful museum ambiance. The show highlighted 10 designers' collections and used the directional sound system to establish a unique soundscape and distinguish each collection. The Audio Spotlight systems, located directly above each designer's "runway," particular collection, and no one else. More info...

Chicago Cultural Center

A popular multimedia exhibit at The Chicago Cultural Center featured eight traditional loudspeakers in one small room, each corresponding to an individual speaking voice projected onto the wall. The traditional speakers caused big problems, disturbing other galleries and making the exhibit itself difficult to hear and unpleasant. The museum replaced the loudspeakers with eight Audio Spotlight discs. The result was eight local, discrete zones of sound, each corresponding to a nearby projected video. Those standing under a disc hear the sound, while elsewhere in the very same room, background noise is but a whisper. Now this exhibit and others nearby are peaceful, and easy to hear.

Boston Museum of Science

In an exhibit conceived by MIT Professor Barry Vercoe, the extremely narrow beams of sound generated by the Audio Spotlight sound system are used with a holographic video screen to offer three viewers completely different content simultaneously, when they're standing right next to each other! A traditional television and loudspeaker set feature a jazz quartet rhythm section playing "Summertime", from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess while three Audio Spotlight discs aimed at slightly different angles beam the sound of a single soloist to adjacent listeners on the floor. The holographic video screen creates a "directional video" display that changes its content depending on the viewing angle. Combining these two technologies effectively creates a television that can provide three completely distinct programs to three viewers at the same time. Standing in one position allows you to see and hear only the trumpet – taking one step over, the trumpet vanishes, and the vocalist alone appears. Taking one more step eliminates all but the violin player. More info...

Perkins School for the Blind

The Perkins School for the Blind, where the remarkable Helen Keller was educated, built a museum in the very center of the school. Because it is located near classrooms, and because of their students' sensitivity to audible distractions, they wanted to ensure that exhibit sound stayed within a carefully defined area. Audio Spotlight systems were installed at each display to provide high quality sound for those visiting the exhibits - and quiet everywhere else.

Walt Disney's Epcot Center

At the Innoventions exhibit in Disney's Epcot Center, General Motors is displaying the Juno, a state-of-the-art vehicle with a sound system consisting of four Audio Spotlight discs – one over each seat. This unique technology allows each passenger in the vehicle to hear their own sound – and no one else's. The Audio Spotlight technology is also used in Innoventions to wow the crowd with its unique focused acoustical beams – sound literally flies by the crowd's faces, and travels around the room, often resulting in dropped-jaws and gasps from the crowd. More info...

Sega's Joypolis

SEGA's innovative theme park and arcade has the very first public installation of Audio Spotlight technology - installed back in year 2000, while Dr. Pompei was still a graduate student at MIT. Located in the midst of other cutting-edge attractions, the Audio Spotlight has been used to wow visitors with projections of its unique sonic beams for over five years. As a testament to the reliability and rugged design of the Audio Spotlight product line, their equipment has been running continuously for over five years - and still works perfectly today.