Lucid has announced today that the Air will be the first vehicle to be offered with Dolby’s Atmos “Surreal Sound” system.
The system will work with 21 speakers placed all around and on top of passengers to deliver sound that can go side-to-side and up and down. According to Dolby, it provides the most immersive sound experience on the market.
“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 Derek Jenkins, Senior VP of Design, Lucid Motors.
While there are obvious advantages to the technology for films and TV, Lucid believes that there will be applications in a car beyond extremely immersive podcasts.
“Dolby Atmos Music has been positively embraced and viewed by the music community as one of the industry’s biggest paradigm shifts within the past 50 years,” said Tim Pryde, Director of Music, Dolby Laboratories. “Automotive is a natural extension for the incredible experience of music in Dolby Atmos, and we are excited to bring this to the world with Lucid.”
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Lucid also plans to integrate the sound system into the actual operation of the vehicle. Thanks to its highly localized nature, it can be used to help with driver aids. The automaker says that something like a warning about an unbuckled seatbelt can come from the direction of the unbuckled seat. The automaker also says that things like a blind-spot warning will sound like it’s coming from where the unseen vehicle is to help the driver locate the danger more easily. Even something as simple as a turn signal can come from the direction it’s indicating.
“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,” said Jenkins.
