press release

january 07, 2014

Audio Spotlight Inventor and Founder of Holosonics Presents Directional Speaker Technology at Cinematic Innovation Summit in Dubai, UAE

Pioneer of directional acoustics and inventor of Audio Spotlight speakers, Dr. F. Joseph Pompei, demonstrates benefits of unique sound beam technology to industry leaders during Dubai International Film Festival.

Attended by a dynamic audience of movie industry members and media technology innovators, the inaugural Cinematic Innovation Summit took place at the Atlantis Palm Jumeirah from December 5th-6th, preceding the 10th annual Dubai International Film Festival. Co-organized by the Center for New Cinema and naseba, the summit was designed to stoke the flames of cinematic innovation through a mixture of film festival, discussion panels, and presentation of new and emerging technologies.

No stranger to state-of-the-art technologies, Dr. F. Joseph Pompei of Holosonics was invited to present his company’s unique directional speaker, the Audio Spotlight system, originally developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Designed primarily with maintaining quiet in public spaces in mind, the unique Audio Spotlight speaker produces a narrow sound beam intended for 1-2 listeners, much like the beam of light from a flashlight. Sound levels drop by over 90 percent a single step outside the beam, where intelligibility of the speaker’s sound virtually vanishes completely.

Pompei was both honored and delighted to have shared the stage with the likes of Pixar co-founder and award- winning digital imagery pioneer Alvy Ray Smith, motion- capture savvy screen and stage actor Andy Serkis, and Middle East royalty such as HH Sheik Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

During his time center stage, Pompei delighted the audience by panning the sound beam of an Audio Spotlight across the room. With a mere twist of his wrists, a turn of the speaker panel sent sounds flying around the room, whizzing right by the heads of those in attendance. Pompei then discussed the value of such technology relevant to the industry, citing thoughtful applications such as promotional marketing campaigns, movie effects, and even public trailers -- imagine a theater hallway full of movie posters replaced by digital signage and trailers; a new engaging visual and sonic experience every 6 feet... Another potential application: discretely delivering multiple languages to different seats within a single theater.

Recognizing Dubai as a city that embraces future technologies and strives for innovation, Pompei appreciated both the honor of his speaking invitation and the opportunity to expand product awareness of the Audio Spotlight system in the Middle East, where Holosonics hopes to further its market reach.

Photo courtesy of naseba

About Holosonic Research Labs, Inc.

Holosonic Research Labs, Inc., a pioneer in directional acoustics, develops and manufactures the Audio Spotlight® directional sound system. Founded in 1999 by MIT graduate Dr. F. Joseph Pompei, Holosonics’ Audio Spotlight technology is used in a wide variety of applications including museums, libraries, offices, reception areas, retail displays, trade shows and retail kiosks. The world’s top organizations and companies use the Audio Spotlight directional sound system to beam sound to their listeners... and preserve the quiet.™

Press inquiries: press@holosonics.com