HEAD acoustics ViBRIDGE: Holistic Testing of In-Ear Headsets with Bone Conduction Sensors

With the availability of the HEL/HER 4.4 ViBRIDGE Flexible Pinna for HMS II.3/5, the industry as gained a vital testing tool for in-ear headset designs that utilize bone conduction sensors. Evaluating these systems is vital to optimize near-end structure-borne sound to improve speech quality in the presence of background noise, improve echo cancellation, and double-talk performance. The unique technology developed by HEAD acoustics is being enthusiastically embraced by the industry.

Cambridge Mechatronics, a leading British company and developer of Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) actuators has developed a new ultra-slim, high precision rotary actuator product. The actuator characteristics include lightweight design, two thousand step positions per revolution and it is completely non-magnetic so it can operate in areas of high magnetic flux that might otherwise exclude conventional motor technologies. With a low profile of around 1mm, it can be used in the most space-constrained applications.

The micro-acoustics experts at Sound Solutions Austria GmbH have developed a compact actuator that is able to ensure stereo sound quality when used to transform the display of increasingly thin smartphones and tablets into a loudspeaker. According to the Vienna-based company, the new “Singing Display” actuator is ideal for space-saving, waterproof designs, extending the response beyond what is possible with conventional speakers technologies, by being applied directly to the back of the large tablet or smartphone screen surfaces.

STMicroelectronics, a leading manufacturer of Micro-Electromechanical Systems (MEMS) technology, announced a collaboration with A*STAR’s Institute of Microelectronics (IME), a research institute in Singapore, and ULVAC, a leading Japanese manufacturing-tool vendor, to jointly setup and operate an 8-inch (200mm) R&D line focused on Piezo MEMS technology within ST’s existing manufacturing facility in Singapore. The concept aims to advance the adoption of piezoelectric MEMS in new applications including augmented reality.

With the goal of elevating the user experience for a wide range of consumer devices, Cirrus Logic is leveraging its low-power, low-latency mixed-signal processing technology to develop an advanced product portfolio of haptic and sensing integrated circuits (ICs) that enable increased functionality and sleek buttonless designs for smartphones, PCs, wearables, gaming, virtual reality and automotive applications. Cirrus Logic’s haptic products and sophisticated haptic feedback technology enable sleeker, more robust end products with fewer mechanical controls for new responsive and immersive user experiences.