HEAD acoustics GmbH celebrates its 25 th anniversary. Pioneering innovative acoustical measurement technology since 1986

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1 Press release Herzogenrath, 08/11/2011 celebrates its 25 th anniversary Pioneering innovative acoustical measurement technology since 1986 The expert of acoustical measurement technology from Herzogenrath, Germany, has grown to become one of the world s leading suppliers of products and solutions for sound and vibration analyses With a current workforce of roughly 150, and 15 international sales partners and subsidiaries, HEAD acoustics is present in all key markets In celebration of the anniversary, HEAD acoustics is organizing the symposium How the World is Turning The Future of Mobility and Communication HEAD acoustics, the international expert of acoustical measurement technology celebrates its 25 th anniversary this year: Since its founding in 1986, HEAD acoustics has developed into one of the world s leading suppliers of products and solutions for sound and vibration. Today, the company sets international standards not only with the technical reproduction of human hearing, but also by pursuing a holistic approach which includes all aspects of human perception of sound and vibration events. Our customers and business partners profit from our years-long experience, our know-how and our innovative prowess, which have characterized the company from the beginning, says founder and owner of HEAD acoustics, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Klaus Genuit. We are at their side as a reliable and competent partner. At the same time we concentrate our attention on future challenges in acoustics such as electric mobility and wideband speech transmission. On August 11, 1986, Klaus Genuit founded the company at the Aachen Technology Center (TZA) with four employees with the innovative concept of head-related recording and playback systems. The AACHENHEAD technology is a technical reproduction of human hearing that enables aurally-accurate recording of sound events, supporting all characteristics of human hearing, in particular spatial hearing.

2 2/8 Today, the company employs a workforce of roughly 150. HEAD acoustics develops highperformance measurement and analysis systems for multi-channel sound and vibration analyses, binaural sound investigations and communication quality analyses. Furthermore, it offers comprehensive services for sound and voice quality optimization. The company benefits from state-of-the-art measurement technology combined with a longtime experience in industrial practice as well as decades of significant involvement with standardization bodies and industry organizations. With subsidiaries in USA, France and Japan and twelve sales partners, HEAD acoustics is internationally present in all key markets. From the beginning, innovation has been a strong focus of the company s activities. Numerous patents and scientific publications validate the successful R&D work. AACHENHEAD technology has made hearing sensation accessible to objective measurement procedures and allowed aurally-accurate sound analysis since the mid 1980s. As the first binaural analysis system for aurally-accurate sound analysis, BAS featured acoustical playback of the signal during analysis. In addition to their own research and development activities, HEAD acoustics is involved in numerous national and international research projects. Symposium How the World is Turning The Future of Mobility and Communication on the occasion of the 25 th anniversary On September 23, 2011, HEAD acoustics celebrates their anniversary with a symposium addressing the revolution of our society s mobility and communication as well as its impact on our future. In preparation for the symposium, six international experts met with HEAD acoustics in a workshop on A Vision of our Society s Mobility and Communication. The results of the workshop will be presented and discussed at the symposium. Featured themes will be technology and energy, communication and information, corporate governance and social responsibility, new networks and distributed artificial intelligence, environment and traffic circulation, soundscape and acoustic ecology, economy and finance, mobility and acoustic worlds. In accordance with the company s motto "always a step ahead, HEAD acoustics continually moves toward the future with innovative and customized solutions that meet customers increasing demands.

3 3/8 Prof. Dr.-Ing. Klaus Genuit, headquarters in Herzogenrath, Germany Find out more at

4 4/8 history Klaus Genuit founds at the Aachen Technology Center (TZA) of the Aachen Association for Innovation and Technology Transfer (AGIT) Development of a method for deriving structure-borne sound components from artificial head signals and reproducing them via low-frequency loudspeakers (in cooperation with Daimler AG and the communications engineering institute of RWTH Aachen) Examinations of speech intelligibility of talk-listen devices in environments with interfering noise regarding the influence of different noise components on speech intelligibility 1987 The HPS I playback system allows an authentic reproduction of artificial head recordings A patent is filed for a direction-independent and sound-field-independent interface for equalizing artificial head signals (ID interface) A patent is filed for a method for using talk-listen devices to improve speech intelligibility in environments with interfering noise 1988 BAS, the first binaural analysis system for aurally accurate sound analysis, is brought to market; BAS was developed for the operating systems DOS and UNIX The HMS II artificial head with a simplified, mathematically describable geometry and a representative directional response pattern replaces the HMS I Development of an analysis system for the telecommunications industry is started 1989 Relocation to the Herzogenrath Technology Park (TPH) Sonic Perceptions, Inc. becomes a sales and service company for the North American market The globally patented HMS II measurement system receives an award for good design from Industrieform (if). Various customer projects, e.g. dealing with cockpit noise, assessment of low-noise pavements, pass-by measurements of vehicles, encapsulation of Diesel engines, exterior noise of motorcycles, noise annoyance from sandblasters, acoustic monitoring of a steel mill etc. Expansion of the telecommunications division to the area of outdoor systems, particularly cellular telephony 1990 Development of the HMS II.3 artificial head (P.58) for the telecommunications industry Participation in important standardization organizations regarding questions of speech technology, voice transmission and voice communications

5 5/8 A patent is filed for a method for aurally accurate spectral analysis, which accounts for the time and frequency resolution of human hearing 1991 A patent is filed for an iterative method for high-resolution spectral analysis and extrapolation of signals A new method for determining acoustic harshness is presented 1992 Foundation of HEAD consult GmbH CAS, the analysis system for the telecommunications industry, is brought to market. Participation in the AQUSTA research project, which pursues various approaches for the realization of an aurally accurate binaural simulation of vehicle interior noise for the prediction of sound quality (Binaural Transfer Path Analysis) 1993 The HMS II.3 becomes the first artificial head to be standardized and significantly shapes the basis of the ITU-T recommendation P.58 for artificial heads used for measurements of telecommunications systems Participation in the SCATIS research project, which examines acoustic and tactile feedback in virtual environments ( ) 1994 The MAS analysis system is the first multi-channel system for the diagnosis of vehicle interior noise. MAS allows the connection of artificial head signals with signals from triaxial acceleration sensors. In real time, an 8-channel DSP board analyzes several channels, from which order analyses can be extracted. The first ISDN measurement station (with the MFE IV frontend) for the examination of telecommunications systems is installed Participation in the VETIR research project, which deals with applications of virtual reality technology in rehabilitation ( ) 1995 Development of the first mobile Sound Quality Laboratory for on-site multi-channel measurement and analysis Participation in the MORIS research project aimed at the development of a motorcycle driving simulator ( ) 1996 Relocation to a dedicated building at Ebertstrasse 30a in Herzogenrath Development of the SoundCar for playback of vehicle interior noise in a realistic vehicle environment Presentation of the Relative Approach analysis, which follows the principles of human sound processing regarding adaptively and detection of spectral and temporal patterns

6 6/8 The simplified type 3.4 pinna model of the HMS II.3 is included in the ITU-T recommendation P.57 The ITU-T recommendation P.501 contains new test signals developed by HEAD acoustics. A patent is filed for a new method for the analysis of sound events HEAD Telecom develops the first DECT measurement station Development of the binaural head microphone BHM III, which allows binaural recordings without an artificial head Presentation of the new positioning device for telephone handsets, HHP I Participation in the research projects OBELICS and AUDIS; OBELICS ( ) deals with the development of methods and tools for the objective description of vehicle noise, AUDIS ( ) deals with the development of new communication aids for cockpits based on virtual environments 1997 Klaus Genuit starts to lecture on psychoacoustics at RWTH Aachen With the new HMS III artificial head and the HPS IV playback system, a new product family and technology is introduced The new sound simulation system H3S allows interactive playback of vehicle interior noise and vibrations in the SoundCar and other stationary simulators Transfer path analysis and synthesis (BTPA/BTPS) are presented as a product; they allow, for the first time, an auralization of individual transfer paths in the time domain A patent is filed for a method for the simulation of vehicle interior noise 1998 The Windows-based multi-channel analysis software ArtemiS replaces BAS; in the following years, ArtemiS becomes the most successful software solution in the NVH area The pressure-dependent positioning of telephone handsets for the simplified pinna model of the HMS II.3 is standardized in the ITU-T recommendation P.64 Participation in the D.O.S.E research project for the development of a noise exposimeter (dosimeter) for persons ( ) Publication of the first HEAD acoustics Speech Quality Standard HQS A patent is filed for a new method for the identification and elimination of interfering noise 1999 is subdivided into the areas HEAD NVH (Noise, Vibration, Harshness) and HEAD Telecom HEAD consult GmbH is merged with as a new department of the NVH division Acquisition of Sonic Perceptions, Inc. and changing its name to HEAD acoustics, Inc. Presentation of the NoiseBook, a particularly user-friendly mobile software and hardware solution used especially by beginners Development of the first VoIP test system based on CAS 2000

7 7/8 Development of a mobile sound simulation system, which can be mounted in a stock vehicle for simulating vehicle interior noise in accordance with the actual driving situation (mobile H3S) The new modular frontend system SQlab II is presented The first ETSI VoIP Speech Quality Test Event is held with the collaboration of HEAD acoustics The ITU-T recommendations P.502 and P.340 (testing methods for telephonometry and handsfree equipment) are released; they contain new testing methods developed by HEAD acoustics Participation in the research projects NABUCCO and SVEN; NABUCCO ( ) deals with the development of enhanced and cost-efficient methods for noise reduction of home appliances using transfer path analysis, SVEN ( ) deals with the simulation of vehicle exterior noise by means of near-field measurements at the relevant vehicle components 2001 HEAD acoustics France, SARL, is founded The HEAD TrainingCenter starts operations The ACQUA measurement system replaces CAS; ACQUA is a powerful and very user-friendly analysis system for the examination of speech and audio quality in all areas of communication The newly developed HMS III is the first artificial head system with USB interface and fully digital signal processing VDA specification for hands-free communications equipment in vehicles 2002 HEAD acoustics Japan, K.K., is founded. Development of the SQuare jury testing system Development of the modular multi-channel frontend system SQlab III The newly developed BEQ II combines the features of a high-end 2-channel ICP frontend and a programmable equalizer 2003 Dedication of an extension building with a 4-wheel dynamometer for off-road vehicles in a semianechoic room The small, handy and powerful 4-channel frontend SQuadriga revolutionizes mobile data acquisition, e.g. with its possibility to store time domain signals directly on the device 2004 Klaus Genuit is appointed fellow of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) A new, context-sensitive, combined sound assessment method is developed, allowing an efficient and reliable definition of target sounds The programmable, digital equalizer PEQ V is brought to market 2005 With SENSE, a method for the measurement, simulation and binaural auralization of vehicle pass-by sounds is developed Development of the Quality Pie (P.505)

8 8/8 Participation in the EU project QCity (as of 2005), which promotes the development of an integrated technology infrastructure allowing efficient examinations of road and rail noise and the development of solutions for its reduction The first NVH User Group meeting is held in Germany The sound simulation systems are supplemented by sound design tools allowing individual sound sources and transfer paths to be modified 2006 The innovative HEAD Recorder software is introduced The mobile USB frontend OctoBox+ is presented Development of the background noise simulator HAE-BGN/car For the recording, detection and evaluation of brake noise while driving, the Brake Observer is developed and combined with a Brake Objective Noise Index (BONI) 2007 The PROGNO[I]SE software allows the synthesis and prediction of noise based on measured excitation signals and transfer functions HEAD Telecom presents the MFE VIII frontend Presentation of the HSU III. 2, the first artificial head with ICP microphones 2008 Klaus Genuit becomes honorary professor at RWTH Aachen A new complex of buildings is built, containing modern test stands, sound measurement rooms and many new offices Foundation of the HEAD Genuit Trust as a public utility institution based in Herzogenrath HEAD VISOR, an innovation in the area of microphone array technology, is brought to market With the HMS IV, HEAD acoustics presents a new generation of artificial heads; the HMS IV is the first artificial head that supports stand-alone operation with a CompactFlash card Development of a new positioning device for telephone handsets, HHP III Presentation of MFE IX and MFE X Observing Member of GCF Development of 3QUEST Presentation of the HSU III.3, the low-noise variant of the artificial head with only 6 db(a) of inherent noise 2009 HEAD acoustics is co-initiator of the first Aachen Acoustics Colloquium (AAC) CAT-iq TM 2.0, the first certified acoustic broadband testing system, is developed The HEAD Data Portal for the documentation and management of NVH data is presented HEAD acoustics becomes a member of the MDM community 2010 Development of broadband systems for the telecommunications industry Introduction of the new modular frontend system HEADlab

9 9/ The ArtemiS SUITE is the new software solution for all areas of sound and vibration analysis, replacing the classic ArtemiS SQuadriga II, the new, handy mobile recording and playback frontend, supplements the successful SQuadriga HEAD acoustics becomes an ASAM member