Harman patents flying robot speakers for better VR sound

VR companies seem to be mainly interested in improving the visual side or practicality, but Harman may focus on improving the sound experience. The company has obtained a patent for mobile, flying or non-flying robotic speakers.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office has granted a patent to Harman for a concept for virtual reality environments. Harman describes a method of assigning the sound to a robotic loudspeaker. This robot speaker must move to a location in the physical space that corresponds to the location of the virtual, sound-producing object in the VR world. According to the company, this leads to a more immersive experience because the sound the user hears more closely matches his expectations based on what he sees in the VR world.

In the patent, Harman gives a number of examples of how the loudspeakers should be placed and positioned in the room. For example, magnets can be used to attach them to metal structures, but the company also talks about “robotic additions” or “gas drive” to move the speakers vertically over walls. Among other things, Harman describes situations where the robotic speakers are each individually capable of hovering like a drone, including rotors and a wing mechanism. Drones are often complained about the noise they make, but Harman has thought of that. “Optionally, noise canceling components can be added to reduce drive unit noise.”

Harman writes that there is a need for more effective techniques for generating and producing sound in a VR world. Headphones, loudspeakers in the VR headset or loudspeakers in the physical space are now often used for sound in VR applications. According to the audio company, such conventional systems are not always able to accurately represent the various aspects of the VR content. As an example, Harman mentions a virtual object that is positioned slightly in front of and above the user. Headphones or speakers may not be able to reproduce the audio in such a way that the user actually experiences that the sound is coming from the direction and specific location of the object.

Harman does not want to use this method of moving loudspeakers, whether or not flying around, for all sounds. A robot speaker may be suitable for a character’s speech in virtual reality, the company says, but the same is not true for the voice of the user’s character when he talks to himself when, for example, putting thoughts into words.

Such a system with robot speakers does not seem to be very suitable for the home user, but this method may be used for VR attractions in the future. Not only are the rooms larger there, but there are often more people in the same room. If they all hear the same sound from the exact same location, it can benefit the overall experience.