Harman says it is the first in the industry to engage in road noise cancellation (RNC) as it demonstrated a suite of technologies at this week’s Geneva Motor Show in tandem with Swiss think-tank, Rinspeed and on several OEM vehicles.
The company has partnered with Lotus Engineering to create Halosonic, a set of sound solutions comprising electronic sound synthesis, engine order cancellation and RNC.
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“We are taking sound away in a car you don’t really want to have,” Halosonic director business development, Rajus Augustine, told just-auto in Geneva. “What I am talking about is noise in the cabin from vibrations induced by engine [and] tyres.
“If you look at it from an OEM perspective, one of the key things is fuel consumption has to be optimised and ride and handling has to be optimised. All these measures bring more noise into the car – that is where our technology comes in.
“We are also talking about road noise cancellation – we are the first in the industry to do that. To engage with an OEM and to bring it into serious production, that is our capability.”
Harman added it was also addressing “all in-cabin noise,” in a bid to reduce driver stress.
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By GlobalDataThe RNC controller uses reference signals received from accelerometers placed throughout the suspension and chassis to predict the noise transferred into the cabin and to generate an anti-noise wave.
Adaptive feedback control from error microphones in the the car roof improves system performance, while Harman says RNC allows OEMs to use lighter structural materials by helping to compensate for the resulting increase in interior noise.
Harman adds its technology ensures only unwanted engine or road noise is cancelled, while preserving music signals in a similar audio range.
The supplier was also debuting its Individual Sound Zones (ISZ) technology at the Geneva show, allowing drivers and passengers to create sonic zones between individuals.
Harman maintains the solution can help to reduce the clutter of different sounds in the car – from navigation commands to phone calls and music.
