DSP Concepts and Bose Collaborate on Advanced Sound Management Technologies for Automotive Brands

December 17 2020, 17:00
DSP Concepts announced a collaboration with the Automotive Systems Division of Bose Corporation to bring the company’s Active Sound Management (ASM) solutions into Audio Weaver. Engineers from DSP Concepts and Bose have completed work demonstrating the effectiveness of one of those ASM solutions – Bose QuietComfort Road Noise Control (RNC) – within the Audio Weaver environment, adding to the platform’s library of nearly 500 market-proven modules available to developers through a drag-and-drop graphical interface.
 

With this development, carmakers building on DSP Concepts’ Audio Weaver - the audio platform powering more than 50 million consumer and automotive products - can now seamlessly deploy Bose QuietComfort Road Noise Control.

"Automotive brands operate in a very saturated market so they’re always looking for ways to differentiate themselves and offering cutting edge audio features is quickly becoming a preferred way to do that," says Paul Beckmann, CTO of DSP Concepts. "Given the complex nature of automotive audio systems, the best way to deliver new in-cabin sound experiences is to leverage turnkey solutions from global leaders like Bose. We’re proud to bring Bose’s industry-leading Active Sound Management solutions to Audio Weaver and anticipate significant interest in the technology from the carmakers building on our platform."

Bose QuietComfort RNC efficiently minimizes unwanted sound in vehicle cabins caused by driving over rough roads, grooved concrete, and uneven pavement. As a flexible and adaptable software solution, QuietComfort RNC uses the vehicle’s existing sound system to electronically control targeted noise. In addition to QuietComfort RNC, manufacturers and developers using DSP Concepts’ tools will be able to deploy other Bose ASM solutions, including Engine Harmonic Cancellation and Engine Harmonic Enhancement technologies. 

This effectively gives the brands building on Audio Weaver access to Bose’s more than five decades of overall sound innovation, including three decades of breakthroughs in the field of noise cancellation. This collaboration could accelerate the technology’s integration into a variety of new models from automotive brands already building on Audio Weaver, such as Tesla, Porsche, Daimler, and BMW.

"DSP Concepts has clearly shown how Audio Weaver has become an extremely popular audio development platform for carmakers across the globe, and we’ve recognized its proven ability to run low latency real-time applications," says Peter Kosak, head of the Bose Automotive Systems Division. "We’ve been impressed by Audio Weaver’s effectiveness, and beyond that, it’s also processor agnostic, ensuring the software can be ported to whichever chip the car ultimately runs on. That’s a huge advantage in terms of design flexibility and speed to market."

The collaboration also allows DSP Concepts and Bose to easily plug into the new supply networks that automotive OEMs are embracing in lieu of traditional supply chains, and positions both companies well for long-term growth in the space. 

"We’re absolutely seeing an increased focus in audio from automotive brands across the globe, but because it’s so challenging to build and deploy embedded audio features in these systems many brands are turning to trusted third parties instead of attempting to do this in-house," says Marcus Behrendt, Partner at BMW iVentures. "We’ve been bullish on Audio Weaver for years because of its ability to help manufacturers do this efficiently and affordably at scale."

DSP Concepts Secures More Investment
In a another clear display of the strong momentum that DSP Concepts and its Audio Weaver platform is generating in the automotive industry, DSP Concepts recently confirmed it has secured a $3M strategic investment from the SUBARU-SBI Innovation Fund, marking the first audio investment in the fund's portfolio.

With this investment, DSP Concepts is now backed by leading funds across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific, totaling $28.4M in funding to date, with other investors including Taiwania Capital, Porsche Digital, Innovation Growth Ventures/Sony Innovation Fund, MediaTek Ventures, and the ARM IoT Fund.
 

"We are proud to be joining the ranks of other elite investors partnering with the leader in automotive audio and voice technology development," said Asahi Kobayashi of the SUBARU-SBI Innovation Fund. "We're acutely aware of the complex, time consuming and costly process that goes into developing and deploying automotive audio features. We were impressed with DSP Concepts' experience in that space and are equally impressed with its voice solutions for the consumer space. As the pandemic continues to accelerate demand for voice-enabled devices and brands move away from touch technology, we believe DSP Concepts' voice technology positions them well for rapid growth and long-term success."

Audio Weaver is currently central to the audio experiences of automotive innovators like Daimler, Porsche, and Tesla. "We designed our Audio Weaver platform so that engineers of all levels can easily design, develop and deploy new audio features across a range of devices, including automotive, which is hands-down the most complex audio system in a person's everyday life," says Chin Beckmann, CEO of DSP Concepts. "Subaru understands that audio has increasingly become a critical component of every technology product sold today - from automotive to smart home and IoT - and we're proud to partner with a like-minded innovator that thinks beyond the confines of their own industry."
www.boseautomotive.com
www.dspconcepts.com
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