Hypersonic® sound uses ultrasonic waves and air to generate audible sounds, with advantages over traditional speakers such as no distortion and the ability to target a specific area. However, commercial success has been limited for the technology.
Hypersonic® sound (HSS®) is an audio technology that uses the interaction of ultrasonic waves and air to generate audible sounds. Radically different from traditional loudspeakers, HSS® devices generate sound indirectly, so they don’t suffer from the many types of distortion found in other devices. Hypersonic® sound can also be used to target a very specific area, much like a spotlight concentrates light into a narrow beam. The technology was invented by Elwood “Woody” Norris of the American Technology Corporation, but he has struggled to find a market.
Traditional speakers generate sound by vibrating a stationary material which creates pressure waves that travel through the air. Hypersonic® sound takes a completely different approach and emits ultrasonic tones that cannot be heard by the human ear. These ultrasonic tones in turn generate the sound in the air molecules themselves. This is possible because air has a non-linear property, which means that audible tones of both lower and higher frequencies can be produced when air interacts with sound. The ultrasonic tones can therefore generate audible frequencies when they come into contact with air molecules.
Since HSS® emitters do not directly generate sound waves, they have some advantages over ordinary loudspeakers. An HSS® emitter does not suffer from the various forms of distortion caused by the mechanical elements of a loudspeaker. The emitter can be relatively small and light but still generate quality audio. Audio volume does not change over a fixed distance, so HSS® emitters could be used in a concert and deliver sound at the same level from the front row to the back of the venue.
Perhaps the most important benefit of Hypersonic® audio technology is the ability to emit sound in narrow “beams” that can be directed at a particular location or individual. Anyone within this radius can hear the sound, while those outside the radius, perhaps a few feet away, will hear nothing. This capability has many potential applications, from highly targeted advertising to surround sound channels that don’t require speakers or cables.
While Hypersonic® sound has clear potential and has been met with praise from various media outlets, the technology has had limited commercial success. American Technology Corporation, which developed the technology and holds several related patents, initially pursued a strategy that avoided competing with major consumer electronics companies. Instead, they tried to carve out a niche where audio hadn’t historically been used, such as in vending machines. Over time, the company shifted its focus to making ultrasound devices for the US military. In 2010, the Hypersonic® audio business was spun off into a new company called Parametric Sound, with Woody Norris heading the new company.
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