Since being launched in 2012, Dolby Atmos technology has found its way into theaters, living rooms, mobile devices and more. And now the immersive 3D audio experience is driving into the automotive space in the upcoming Lucid Air electric sedan.
After more than four years in development, the Lucid Air is finally being prepared for rollout – with four model variants being available, topping out at the 1,080-hp Dream Edition for US$169,000.
And now, Lucid Motors has announced that the vehicle is to be the first in the world to come with Dolby Atmos. The immersive audio technology will be incorporated into the Air's 21-speaker Surreal Sound system – comprising front, rear, side and height speakers.
"As the first car to integrate Dolby Atmos, Lucid Air delivers an elevated, multi-dimensional sound experience on par with the other innovations at Lucid," said Lucid's Derek Jenkins. "The post-luxury experience is not just about beautiful design and next-generation technology, it also speaks to an unmatched in-car experience that engages all the senses."
The company says that the speakers have been positioned so that individual sounds can be heard as driver or passengers move around the cabin, with the whole experience optimized by Dolby using the Capitol Records Studio C recording studio as its reference point.
As well as the promise of enveloping in-car listeners in top notch surround-sound audio, acoustic notifications, warnings and so on can be made to appear to fire from the direction of an issue or problem. Given examples include having a seatbelt warning seem to come from the direction of an unbuckled belt, direction-specific blind-spot warnings and even localized indicator sounds.
The Lucid Air is open for reservation now. The video below has more.
Source: Lucid Motors