Sound Inventions

Athanas Acoustic Devices is the R&D home of audio designer and inventor Lewis Athanas. Over the course of his career Mr. Athanas has been awarded four patents for innovative transducer technologies; designed and developed 36 acclaimed consumer products; and has designed custom systems for the Disney Theme Parks, St. Patrick’s Cathedral in NYC, and an outdoor sound system for New Hampshire’s Mt. Washington Observatory, home of “the world’s worst weather”. The list of his client companies include Boston Acoustics, Genesis, Gateway Computers, Atlantic Technologies and Cue Acoustics.

For several years Mr. Athanas partnered with The Arthur D. Little Co. as Inventor in Residence, developing consumer product technologies as well as pursuing scientific research in Active Noise Cancellation. It is from this partnership that Mr. Athanas invented the acclaimed “Edge Motion Loudspeaker” technology as used by Emo Labs, a company he cofounded in 2004. Edge Motion combines picture and sound, in stereo, as a transparent transducer overlay on video displays, for a unique and enriching multimedia experience. It also allows designs unimaginable in the past.

Since then Athanas Acoustic Devices has been developing several new technologies. Perhaps the most intriguing is a revolutionary sound cancellation system called OASIS, an acronym for Open Air Sound Interception System. OASIS does just that: it cancels sound, whether traffic noise, the clatter of machinery or private conversation in the workplace. It can protect newborns from the damaging onslaught of noise in hospital environments, or simply make life that much more pleasant at home. Perhaps you can envision an application for OASIS of your own. We would be glad to help. Read more about OASIS here.

AAD has also developed a second generation sound-for-video technology called AudioGlass, which takes a completely different approach from Mr. Athanas’ invention as used in the Arthur D. Little/Emo Labs system.

Combining the real estate of speakers and displays for a single unified experience, and more concise design, has always been a good idea. That idea has finally matured. AudioGlass is a thin crystal clear sheet positioned over a video display, such that it appears to be the display itself. No speakers are visible when viewing the display, and AudioGlass adds very little to the physical construction of the display product; but it adds a whole new dimension to the enjoyment of video. Here are some of AudioGlass' attributes :

A truly flat screen. Not almost, kind of flat, but flat, to match the display.

Improved low and high frequencies, clear voices, and a 3D sound presentation that must be heard.

Using simple off-the-shelf electronics, as well as readily available moving coil motors, and a unique integration of transducer, amplifier and signal processing makes AudioGlass possible. The design is as unified as the picture and sound experience it delivers. AudioGlass can operate on as little power as a USB connection. We look forward to some exciting demonstrations in the coming months.

Tell us what do you want sound to do.