Austrian Firm Announces Financing for MEMS Micro Speaker With Extended Battery Life
Austrian company USound received a $30 million equity tranche earmarked for a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) micro speaker, said to extend battery life of wireless earbuds and other wearables to 12 hours. The company’s current MEMS micro speaker offers more than…
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50 percent extended battery life vs. systems with electrodynamic speakers, said the company Tuesday. The next-generation technology integrates an energy recovery audio amplifier. When voltage is applied to the membrane housing the micro speakers’ lead zirconate titanate (PZT) material, crystals in the PZT expand or shrink, causing the membrane to vibrate and produce sound waves. The approach produces less heat and distortion than conventional speaker systems due to fewer moving parts, it said. USound’s products also have voice fingerprint, inherent mic functionality and analog-to-digital converters, it said.