Ceva Inc. has acquired the RealSpace 3D spatial audio business from VisiSonics Corp. in a bid to bolster the company’s portfolio of internet of things (IoT) technology, specifically hearables.
As part of the deal, Ceva will gain the software and patents as well as the spatial audio R&D team. The acquisition will expand its software portfolio for embedded systems where hearables are demanding spatial audio.
While spatial audio is becoming a critical element of hearables, it will also drive innovation in many other end markets like gaming, augmented reality/virtual reality, audio conferencing, healthcare, automotive and media entertainment.
Future Market Insights forecasts the market for 3D audio will grow more than four times in the next 10 years to nearly $31.9 billion by 2032.
“The software is market-proven with industry leaders in gaming and hearables and presents us with an opportunity to expand our customer base by delivering on the true potential of this technology, including entry into the burgeoning consumer IoT and automotive markets,” said Amir Panush, CEO of Ceva.
What is 3D spatial audio?
The rendering software creates a realistic aural experience through as little as two-channel stereo audio but also supports full multi-channel and ambisonics.
RealSpace allows for immersive experiences with dynamic head tracking as the sound sources are held stationary even with the user moving such as during AR/VR gaming. This simulates listening experiences in the real-world allowing theater-like sound through headphones or earbuds when watching movies, playing games or listening to music.
Ceva said it will integrate VisiSonics’ spatial audio software into its MotionEngine sensor fusion software for a complete spatial audio solution with dynamic head tracking.
The combination of technology after the acquisition can be implemented directly on headphones or earbuds or as an embedded library for use on wireless audio system-on-chips. The technology is already ported to both digital signal processors and Arm Cortex-M class microcontrollers, Ceva said.
