Faurecia, an automotive technology company that operates a large technical center in Auburn Hills and has its global headquarters in France, Tuesday announced an investment in Subpac, a hardware and software technology platform that provides an immersive and customized music and media experience by silently transferring low frequencies directly to the body.
Faurecia plans to integrate this technology into the seat as part of its personalized audio bubble system.
“The acoustic experience will be a key differentiator for the Cockpit of the Future,” says David Degrange, vice president of the cockpit of the future division at Faurecia. “The Subpac technology reinforces our offer for an enhanced sound experience for each occupant whilst reducing packaging space and weight compared to traditional speaker systems.”
Subpac could also offer driver safety by acting as a part of advanced driver assistance systems to communicate with the driver, enabling faster response times to road and environmental conditions.
“With their Cockpit of the Future initiative, Faurecia is the perfect partner to expand our mission to physically connect people with sound,” says Todd Chernecki, CEO of Subpac. “Their support and expertise will accelerate our path by bringing the technology we have refined in conjunction with the top music artists, producers, and studios in the world, to the hundreds of millions of people who listen to music in their vehicles every day – all while keeping them alert and safer on the road.”
The investment was made by Faurecia ventures, which advances Faurecia’s innovation strategy by identifying, incubating, and investing in startups with relevant technologies for sustainable mobility and smart devices in cars.
Faurecia was founded in 1997 and has 290 sites in 35 countries. It works in automotive seating, interior systems, and clean mobility.
