<<BACK TO HOME

Bowers & Wilkins


Martin Lindsay, Head of Automotive at Bowers & Wilkins

What social/economic/technological trends do you think will have the greatest impact on car design in 2018?

I think there will be increasing emphasis on true green technologies and improved efficiency. Technologies that will reduce weight and therefore emissions with no compromise on structural safety will define vehicle architecture. From an infotainment point of view, the desire to be fully connected, potentially to a central hub, that contains all sources will be prevalent. The garage as ‘docking station’ linking the home and the car will be fully realized. The desire to have music, video, email and phone in a convenient and safe format will be standard. The human machine interface to access such a wealth of information will need careful consideration and will likely be custom configurable in order to better tailor it to individual needs.

What technologies will be key in 2018?

Bowers & Wilkins expects that sound system components will become a much more integral part of the vehicle structure. Complexity, flexibility/scalability, package space, and weight will drive this demand. This trend is hardly apparent today with very limited examples. The company already has technologies that promise such a solution. Micro Matrix is one example that combines improved audio performance with increased rigidity and reduced vibration. This technology isn’t an afterthought and can be fully integrated. Using existing elements of the body as enclosures will offer an improvement in package volume, freeing up cabin and boot space. Innovative materials and advanced concepts will play an increasing role in reducing weight without affecting sound performance. Composites will increase; we are already implementing Kevlar and we have programmes in place to assess next generation composites and metals (for magnets). There will be key developments at the source end too. Memory is getting cheaper to the point where mechanisms will disappear. Source material will be digital – I think this will allow for features that we haven’t been seen before. We are seeing enhancements in interactive media and expect that there will be developments to today’s surround sound to take it to another level entirely. Innovation can bring great improvements but also has the potential to take things beyond the scope of driver and passenger needs. The challenge will be to deliver this effectively and intelligently in the car’s entertainment system.

How will your products and the business sector develop?

We plan to push the performance boundaries of sound reproduction in the car as we do in the home. This will entail improvements in sound reproduction through new materials, new processes and signal processing, and design innovation. This will be at all stages, from the source, , through DSP-processing, to the amplifier through the speakers to the cabin. From the business perspective, we aim to create and nurture long term relationships with OEM partners, working closely with engineering and design departments to integrate new technologies and concepts that ensure each new car represents state-of-the-art performance. Through system licensing approach, we provide a supplier-independent solution which further ensures a more exclusive and unique offering to each OEM. Increased co-operation and working as one will be the key to success. We are not looking to port Bowers & Wilkins premium audio to a wide array of vehicles. Our technology, innovation, know-how, and brand are ingredients geared to select customers that understand and value the importance of innovative, high-performance premium sound solutions and are willing to invest in a collaboration aimed at realising genuine best-in-class performance.

Where do you see the big opportunities?

There are three key opportunities. First, for OEMs to realise revenue opportunities through the use of premium sound systems that offer excellent sound reproduction. Second, there are opportunities to use components and system concepts that satisfy more than one application – for instance a structural element which improves both sound performance and structural integrity, while reducing cost, complexity, and weight. Finally, I think that sound system manufacturers will be involved not only in reproducing audio from the source but also reducing unwanted sound such as noise, resonance, and vibration. This is an area of expertise that an sound reproduction specialist can offer some insight into. This will be achieved not only through materials but with the sound system partner becoming involved in system configuration as well as speaker specification and placement at the earliest stage of body-in-white architecture creation. We are not there yet but by 2018 I believe that will have to be the case.

Next... Continental

Index