Continental’s Ac2ated Sound Display is the first time that the loudspeaker function has been built directly into the display unit.
By integrating sound actuators (shakers) just a few centimetres in size into the display, the company has succeeded in using the entire display surface as a resonating body for the output of sounds in brilliant sound quality. This makes more economical use of the available installation space and at the same time reduces the weight compared to conventional loudspeakers.
A decisive advantage in automotive applications: when acoustic feedback, speech or other audio content is output, the eye is intuitively directed to the relevant display instrument – and attention is directed even more specifically.
As the actuators can also be integrated into the display unit with very little space requirement, the installation effort is significantly lower compared to solutions with a conventional loudspeaker, as no separate components are required.
In addition to use in displays, the technology can be integrated into almost any existing flat component in the vehicle interior: By implementing additional actuators in door panels, headrests, A-pillars or the headliner, for example, the vehicle’s entire audio system can be converted to Ac2ated Sound technology in order to vibrate existing surfaces in the vehicle and thus make conventional loudspeakers superfluous. In addition to visual advantages, this also results in up to 90 percent less installation space for the audio system and a weight saving of up to 40 kilograms compared to conventional loudspeaker systems. (jr)
