14 DAY TRIAL // Public Announcement (PA) systems currently available in train stations and airports are beginning to reach their limits, as busy terminals need to handle an ever-increasing number of passengers, as well as more trains and airplanes, respectively. Conventional speakers can only do so much to cover all the noise in these busy places, and therefore a fundamental overhaul of the entire system is in order. UK experts at the University of Warwick have created a type of flat speakers that is only 25 millimeters thick, but which is able to generate clear, crisp, and easy-to-hear sounds, even in the most crowded conditions.
Because of their unique traits, the contraptions are very flexible and thin, and can therefore be easily concealed out of sight in ceilings and car doors. In addition, they can also be printed with a model on them, which in reality would make them look like pictures or paintings. If hanged on the wall, people won't even know where the sound is coming from. They are inexpensive to produce, the researchers in charge of their development say, and are also extremely lightweight, which makes them very easy to carry and install in any location.
“We believe this is a truly innovative technology. Its size and flexibility means it can be used in all sorts of areas where space is at a premium. Audio visual companies are investigating its use as point of sale posters for smart audio messaging and car manufacturers are particularly interested in it for its light weight and thinness, which means it can be incorporated into the headlining of cars, rather than lower down in the interior,” the CEO of Warwick Audio Technologies, Steve Couchman, says.
“Another great application would be in PA systems for public spaces. The sound produced by FFLs can be directed straight at its intended audience. The sound volume and quality does not deteriorate as it does in conventional speakers, which means that public announcements in passenger terminals, for example, could be clearer, crisper, and easier to hear,” he adds.
The speakers themselves are produced from a thin layer of laminate, obtained from thin, conducting and insulating layers of special materials, which are then excited with an electrical impulse. When this happens, the laminate vibrates on specific frequencies and produces sounds that do not deteriorate with volume as they do in conventional speakers.