Auracast™ – changing the wireless audio experience

Mar

7

Auracast™ – changing the wireless audio experience

Brought to you by The Connected Devices Group

This seminar looks at the history of consumer audio development, explains the key features and use cases of Auracast™ and hears from come of the companies exploring the new business opportunities for shared audio.

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Event Information

Started 7 March 2024 at 13:30

Approx 3 hours, 30 minutes

LLAB 002, Lord Ashcroft International Business School, Anglia Ruskin University,, Broad Street, Cambridge CB1 1PT.

Free to members / £50.00 (+ VAT) for non members

About the event

The latest Bluetooth Low Energy audio standards include a new broadcast feature which could effect the most important change in consumer audio since stereo was introduced back in the late 1950s. Named Auracast™, the new broadcast feature allows Bluetooth audio and voice transmissions to be shared with multiple people. It allows low cost infrastructure use, bringing public audio information to everyone, in a similar way that telecoil has benefitted hearing aid users. Not only will that help make our world quieter, with more silent TVs, it will simplify audio installations, drive new audio applications and open up many new audio management services. Users will find a new flexibility, where music once more becomes something that is shared, bringing the original social aspect back to listening.

This seminar looks at the history of consumer audio development, explains the key features and use cases of Auracast™ and hears from some of the companies exploring the new business opportunities for shared audio.

This in-person event is kindly hosted by Anglia Ruskin University at their Cambridge Campus and will provide delegates with ample opportunities to network with fellow attendees to explore the themes of this event.

Employees of CW member organisations can attend this event for free. You will need to be logged into your CW account to access your free ticket – log in (or reset your password here)

Tickets for non-members are £50 plus VAT. CW membership may be more cost effective for your organisation than fully priced tickets – find out more about CW membership benefits.

You can follow @CambWireless on Twitter and tweet about this event using #CWCD.

Agenda

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The information supplied below may be subject to change before the event.

13:30

Registration and networking over refreshments

14:00

Welcome and introduction from event Chair, Tim Whittaker, Cambridge Consultants & Connected Devices SIG Champion

14:05

Welcome from our host, Professor Jennifer Schooling, Professor of Digital Innovation and Smart Places, Anglia Ruskin University

14:15

Nick Hunn, CTO, WiFore Consulting

‘Introducing Auracast’

Auracast is set to make the biggest change the way we experience audio since the introduction of stereo in the 1960s. This overview explains the potential of ubiquitous, broadcast audio for product design and the user experience.

14:40

Julian Pieters, Managing Director, Ampetronic

‘Auracast for the public realm’

How Bluetooth Auracast looks set to transform delivery of public services with audio, replacing all of the existing solutions for hearing accessibility. I will talk about newly launched systems for public spaces, initial market responses, expectations for rate of adoption, and how we see the technology as a platform for disruptive change.

15:05

Dr Alastair H. Moore, Technology Lead, RNID

'Audio accessibility for all – opportunities and challenges for Auracast'

In this talk I will explain why Auracast is exciting for people who are deaf or have hearing loss, focussing on specific use cases and accessibility barriers. By considering how users might interact with streams in different contexts I hope product and system designers will be inspired to implement the necessary infrastructure and user interfaces to ensure that the communities RNID support are able to realise the full benefits.

15:30

Refreshment Break

16:00

James Taylor, Product and Strategy Leader for Connected Products, Frontier Smart Technologies

‘Bluetooth LE Audio sharing (Auracast?) inside and outside the home’

Introduction to Frontier Smart Technologies and introduction of our turnkey module, AURIA, that supports BT LE Audio including BMS/BMR mode. AURIA was recently launched and is currently being designed into a range of in-home audio products.

16:25

Dr William Campbell, Deputy Head of School for Music and Music Technology, Anglia Ruskin University

Whose Sound Is It? A Discussion of Configuring Bluetooth LE and Auracast Pre- and Post-Broadcast

Immerse yourself in the world of Auracast, where the sound is truly yours! My presentation explores the exciting potential of Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast configurations, empowering broadcasters and listeners. Discover how pre-broadcast configurations tailor content and accessibility while post-broadcast options allow personalised listening experiences. Auracast opens doors to a future of inclusive and engaging audio wherever you go, from live concerts to museums and public spaces. So, get ready to ask, "Whose sound is it?" and unlock the power of choice with Auracast!

16:50

Jan Slodičák, Wireless Software Engineer, RFcreations

‘Auracast - testing the ‘tricky’ bits.’

Jan will discuss and demonstrate how a new class of Bluetooth test equipment was required to test the ‘tricky’ bits in Auracast, and how new connection techniques are enabling consumer ease of access.

17:15

Open Forum with all speakers chaired by Tim Whittaker, Cambridge Consultants

17:30

Closing remarks and event closes

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Speakers

William Campbell - Deputy Head of School for Music and Music Technology, Anglia Ruskin University

Dr Campbell is Deputy Head of School for Music and Music Technology. He has expertise in audio and music technology, specifically specialising in dynamic range compression of musical signals, signal analysis and their psychoacoustic implications. Dr Campbell received a first-class BSc (Hons) degree in Audio and Music Technology in 2008 and a PhD studying the ‘The Effect of Dynamic Range Compression on the Quality and Loudness of Commercial Music’ in 2019. His research has an international profile ranging from conference presentations to journal articles. He started his audio career as a touring live sound engineer and currently works as a music engineer and producer, and postproduction filmmaker. Dr Campbell is also a certified Wwise instructor, teaching sound design and music implementation for games. He is a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy, a Member of the Music Producers Guild, and a Member of the Audio Engineering Society.

Nick Hunn - CTO, WiFore Consulting

For the past thirty years Nick has been closely involved with short range wireless and communications, designing technology that helps to bring mobility to products, particularly in the areas of telematics, M2M, IoT, wearables, smart energy and mobile health. He is closely involved with the Bluetooth SIG, the Continua Alliance and other medical and wireless standards bodies. He is the author of 'The Essentials of Short Range Wireless' - a book attempting to explain the application of wireless technology to product developers.

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Alastair Moore - Technology Lead, RNID

Alastair is Technology Lead at the RNID, the national charity supporting the 12 million people in the UK who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus. He obtained an MEng degree in Electronic Engineering with Music Technology Systems and PhD in binaural technology, both from University of York. He spent 3 years as a hardware design engineer at Pure designing DAB and Wi-Fi-based consumer audio products before returning to academia as a post-doctoral researcher at Imperial College London. Over more than a decade he worked on acoustic signal processing algorithms for sound scene awareness and speech enhancement and algorithms, working with a variety of industry partners, and academic collaborators. In 2023 he joined RNID, hoping to increase the awareness of and adoption of hearing technology. As part of his role, through consultation with RNID’s user research panel, he advises major brands on how to make their products and services more accessible.

Julian Pieters - Managing Director, Ampetronic

Julian is the Managing Director of Ampetronic Ltd, a leading provider of Assistive Listening solutions based in the UK. After starting his career developing medical devices with Cambridge Consultants, Julian acquired Ampetronic and set about widening the availability of hearing assistance solutions. He has assembled the largest global group of hearing access businesses within the Allvida Group, and is investing in new technology platforms to enable better hearing in public spaces, in particular with Auracast.

Jennifer Schooling - Professor of Digital Innovation and Smart Places, Anglia Ruskin University

Professor Jennifer Schooling is Professor of Digital Innovation and Smart Places at Anglia Ruskin University. Her research explores the sociotechnical aspects of digitalisation at the city scale, to enable delivery of digital solutions for public value creation. She is on the Secure Connected Places Advisory Board for the UK government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and the Infrastructure Client Group’s Digital Transformation Task Group. She also carries out research on decarbonisation of construction through data and was lead author of the Carbon Reduction Code for the Built Environment.

Jan Slodičák - Wireless Software Engineer, RFcreations

Jan Slodičák is a multi-disciplined engineer who combines robotics and scoring goals on the football pitch as his hobbies, who is as comfortable on a snowboard as on a cycle, not in Cambridge of course. He is currently ensuring that LE Audio and Auracast offer the best experience for end consumers by enabling innovative measurement tools.

James Taylor - Product and Strategy Leader for Connected Products, Frontier Smart Technology

James leads product management at Frontier Smart Technologies and has twenty years of product development and product management experience within the telecom and wireless industry. Previously worked on smart Wi-Fi mesh at AirTies Wireless Networks, wireless IP video streaming at Amino Communications and whole home Wi-Fi at TalkTalk. Currently working on digital radio and connected audio solutions based on Bluetooth Low Energy Audio and Wi-Fi at Frontier Smart Technologies.

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SIG Champions

Paul Green - Creative Director, Iotics

Paul originated Arkessa in 2006 - the business that provides remote internet services to multitudes of machines. He is currently creating the services Arkessa will offer in five year's time. His professional life combined engineering and science has taken him through a variety of roles, including design and production engineering, business planning, marketing and corporate sales, mainly in the telecommunications sector. Interestingly, the first product he introduced to manufacture is now is in the Science Museum in London. A passionate and committed Christian, Paul is as excited about materials science and quantum physics as he is interested in railways, walking, skiing and the natural world.

Nick Hunn - CTO, WiFore Consulting

For the past thirty years Nick has been closely involved with short range wireless and communications, designing technology that helps to bring mobility to products, particularly in the areas of telematics, M2M, IoT, wearables, smart energy and mobile health. He is closely involved with the Bluetooth SIG, the Continua Alliance and other medical and wireless standards bodies. He is the author of 'The Essentials of Short Range Wireless' - a book attempting to explain the application of wireless technology to product developers.

Connect on linkedin

Tim Whittaker - Head of Professional Audio Visual, Wireless & Digital Services, Cambridge Consultants

Cambridge Consultants was started in 1960 to pioneer the delivery of independent design and development services in electronic, mechanical and product engineering: we are one of the founder companies of the high-technology Cambridge Phenomenon. Our history of world-class services is augmented by our development of intellectual property in areas including telecommunications, software, silicon, medical devices, machine learning, and by more than 20 successful spin-out ventures. Today Cambridge Consultants employs over 900 world-class engineers, scientists, project managers and technicians with offices in Cambridge UK, Boston, Seattle, San Francisco, Singapore and Tokyo; we provide the full range of services for excellent product design to a worldwide client base in the wireless, consumer, industrial, energy and medical markets. Tim Whittaker is a System Architect in the Wireless business unit, where he has taken the technical lead in projects using radio
standards like Bluetooth, ZigBee, DECT, and in the creation of specialist communications schemes for new applications, or to use new spectrum allocations.

Event Location

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Location info

LLAB 002, Lord Ashcroft International Business School, Anglia Ruskin University,, Broad Street, Cambridge CB1 1PT.

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