Flat Flexible Loudspeaker Redefines Public Addressing Systems

Finally, some engineering news. These "sound" cool!

Not so new! I saw and heard these at a trade show 2 years ago. They have some really interesting applications, but they do have to be shaped correctly to get the required directivity after which they are no longer flat. A small panel does not produce much volume, but a large flat panel produces a very directional beam which is useful if it is pointing the right way, and a problem if it is isn't.

For example, if these are wrapped around a pillar just above people's heads, they will have excellent horizontal dispersion, but will produce a strong horizontal beam firing straight over the audience. Bearing in mind the fact that sound rays tend to be bent upwards over a warm audience this would lead to most of the sound missing the listeners. Tilting the beam down-wards would require the panel to be tilted down-wards. Moving them lower would mean the front row get too much volume and block the sound to the people behind.

There are some locations that will benefit from these where speakers can be mounted at head height and the audience does not vary too much in distance from the speaker. They look attractive as components for phased arrays which do allow the beam of a flat panel to be slewed down-wards or sideways.

Like most novel speaker technologies they are another useful tool in the system designer's toolboxes but they are not a universal solution.