Demonstration of hardware-based 3D audio AR/VR headphones operating with small speaker units

STMicroelectronics (hereinafter ST) invited audio company Usound to MWC 2018 and introduced Usound's small silicon micro speakers, which are installed in immersive 3D sound headphones.

The over-ear headphones used in this demonstration have 14 built-in small, low-profile speakers that allow for a 3D audio experience. They induce immersion by allowing the wearer to focus on events unfolding in all directions—front, back, left, and right—through sound virtual reality or augmented reality. With a large bandwidth and high-quality bass volume, the speaker can reproduce more vivid sound.

Anton Hofmeister, Vice President and General Manager of ST MEMS Microactuator, stated, “At MWC 2018, we were able to witness the vivid 3D sound of state-of-the-art speakers that reproduce the best sound quality despite their small size,” adding, “Through our thin-film piezo technology, the Piezo-electric Transducer (PεTra), we are helping Usound increase its market share and drive product innovation.”

Ferruccio Bottoni, CEO of U-Sound, stated, “We are providing development kits for 3D headphones equipped with state-of-the-art silicon speakers so that customers can devise innovative audio products for gaming, entertainment, and leisure, as well as for professional sectors such as exercise and simulation.”

Usound's micro speaker is a high-precision piezoelectric actuator that achieves miniaturization, low power consumption, low heat dissipation, and high sound quality. Therefore, audio device manufacturers can utilize these advantages to the fullest to design hardware-based wearable 3D audio products that replicate a real acoustic environment.

ST's PεTra technology and MEMS manufacturing processes play a crucial role in realizing these small speakers as market-ready products within a tight schedule. This is because proven technologies similar to existing MEMS and CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) chip processes are applied. These actuators offer excellent size and reliability, and mass production can be carried out economically.