Posted by Robert Schrager
 | In a world where vehicles are rapidly becoming smarter, more connected, and more autonomous, hearing the outside world is just as important as seeing it. |
| Alango's SoundAround™ is transforming how vehicles listen to their surroundings — without the need for external microphones. Why is this important? Because microphones mounted outside a vehicle can be expensive and vulnerable to damage from the harsh environment. SoundAround solves all of this with a vibration sensor module affixed to the interior side of the windshield plus DSP processing. Here are the top use cases showing what SoundAround is capable of for cars of the future.
1. Emergency Siren Acquisition |
 | Imagine you're driving with music playing and the windows up. You don't see any flashing lights. But suddenly, your car alerts you to an approaching ambulance. That's SoundAround at work. It captures siren signals from outside and passes them to the car's perception system so you can safely yield in time. | |||
| 2. Road Hazard Sound Capture Before you even see a crash or tire screech, SoundAround picks up external warning sounds like honks or collisions, the vehicle gains valuable seconds to react — helping avoid secondary accidents.
3. Public Address & Law Enforcement Audio Pickup |
 | If a police officer or traffic control unit shouts a command toward your vehicle, SoundAround can pick up and relay that message even with the windows closed. This keeps interactions clear and safe, especially in tense or noisy environments. | |||
| 4. Urban Environment Audio Context Cities are full of sounds: construction work, protests, emergency situations. SoundAround provides real-time awareness of such events. This data helps autonomous systems or fleet managers understand what’s happening on the street beyond what cameras and sensors can see.
5. Environmental Sound Logging For commercial fleets, autonomous taxis, or safety audits, it's crucial to record what the vehicle hears. SoundAround enables sound logging for use in black-box systems or insurance investigations — without violating privacy or needing extra hardware.
6. Internal Sound Acquisition SoundAround doesn't just listen outside. Inside the cabin, it picks up voices, cries, or unusual sounds. This helps in: |
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| 7. Voice Command Pickup from Outside the Vehicle Want to ask your car to open the trunk or start climate control while your hands are full? SoundAround enables voice command recognition even from outside the vehicle, with windows closed — adding convenience and accessibility.
8. Speaker Localization (Direction-of-Arrival or DoA Support uuuusing multiple pickup modules) When someone speaks around the vehicle, SoundAround can tell which direction the voice is coming from: front, back, left, or right. This supports safety features like driver alerts or camera direction adjustments.
9. Passive Listening Without Opening Windows Ever want to hear what's going on outside without compromising your comfort or security? SoundAround lets you listen to voices, warnings, or sirens while keeping the windows shut.
10. External Voice Logging for Security Use |
 | In case of vandalism or confrontation, SoundAround can capture and log aggressive speech or threatening tones around the vehicle. This can be valuable for later review or evidence. | |||
| 11. Voice Command Pickup from Outside the Vehicle Even when turned off, SoundAround-enabled vehicles can continue to monitor ambient sounds. If someone tries to break in or tamper with the vehicle, this audio data can help identify what happened.
12. Siren Direction Estimation Support Hearing a siren is one thing. Knowing where it's coming from is another. SoundAround works with multiple modules to determine the direction of sirens, letting the system assist the driver more intelligently.
13. Approaching Vehicle Sound Localization If a car is speeding up or revving nearby, SoundAround hears it and tells the system where it's coming from. This helps prevent accidents during lane changes or mergers.
14. Incident Zone Localization |
 | If someone is tampering with a car door or a package thief approaches, SoundAround can help determine exactly which side of the vehicle is being targeted. That info can trigger directional cameras or alerts. | |||
| 15. Directional Audio Routing to Cabin Alerts Instead of a generic alert, SoundAround allows systems to tell the driver: "Sound detected on the rear left" or "Someone is speaking near the passenger side." This adds a whole new level of spatial awareness.
Why This Matters All these functions are powerful on their own, but what sets SoundAround apart is its ability to do this without external microphones. That means lower costs, less risk of failure, and better vehicle designs. |
 | In a world where safety, automation, and convenience are merging, SoundAround gives vehicles a new sense: the ability to hear the world like a human — but without needing ears that stick out into the wind. Only Alango SoundAround makes this possible without external microphones. | |||
