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ONE OF THE BOFFINS who gave us the MP3 has developed a Linux based sound system that creates realistic 3D sound.
Fraunhofer Institute for Media Technology director Karlheinz Brandenburg has been showing off his new Iosono technology to executives from major Hollywood companies. According to CNET, Iosono apparently gives true three dimensional audio which sounds brilliant wherever you are sitting in the theatre. At the moment the best sound systems only give you that effect if you are sitting.
The system works using a Linux processor and a ring of speakers around the theatre, used to build up what the designer calls "Wave Field Synthesis" which is basically spin for complex audio illusions for everyone within a space.
A Linux box runs a complex algorithm to predict the way multiple sound waves will interact with each other within the space. Then up to 400 small speakers positioned around the theatre are used to mimic this interaction.
However, there is a slight flaw in the idea. The cost of having 400 speakers a theatre and a large Linux box to run it might just put a few theatres off. It is also unlikely you will be able to run it in your living room and be able to fit yourself and your ultra wide plasma TV screen inside.
But Fraunofer is not deterred. He thinks that theme parks will love the idea. For example, it would be possible to have a haunted house ride at Disneyland where a ghost speaks to you from your shoulder or flies around the room. Theme parks often buy 3D or theatre 180 technology for the novelty value alone.
He also sees some opportunity for putting the technology onto later generations of PC. Microsoft is apparently interested.
Source:
The INQ!
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