{
  "id": 4737321,
  "title": "Next-gen speaker technology beams music and speech to one listener without bothering anyone nearby",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/next-gen-speaker-technology-beams-music-and-speech-to-one-listener",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-31T22:42:29.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Digital Trends",
    "slug": "digital-trends",
    "url": "https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/researchers-built-an-ultrasound-based-speaker-that-can-direct-music-and-speech-at-one-listener/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Headphones can become uncomfortable after extended use, and speakers usually disturb those nearby with their audible output. Researchers at Pohang University of Science and Technology have developed a novel speaker called MiPAL that utilizes ultrasound to direct sound toward a single listener without impacting others. This parametric array loudspeaker (PAL) concentrates ultrasonic waves into a focused beam using a piezoelectric transducer and two types of metamaterials. The acoustic metasurface at the front acts like a lens, while elastic meta-units at the back minimize unwanted vibrations. MiPAL has been tested with both speech and music across a frequency range of 500Hz to 10kHz, and could potentially be used in airplanes, trains, desks, museums, and exhibitions. Despite being a promising technology, the current prototype does not yet match the sound output of conventional speakers.",
  "summary": "POSTECH researchers developed an ultrasound-based speaker that directs music and speech toward one listener while keeping sound from spreading widely around them.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}