Google has quietly acquired 3D audio startup Dysonics to work on audio hardware and build better AR products. Google also acquired Dysonics’ intellectual property, namely their patents for tracking binaural sound which could upgrade future iterations of Google’s Pixel Buds or other audio wearables.
The acquisition that took place in December, although not having been previously reported, was disclosed in a recent filing with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the terms of the deal remain unknown. The audio startup previously raised an undisclosed amount of funding with help of Intel Capital and others. According to a 2020 PP loan filing, Dysonics employed less than 10 people.
Dysonics was founded in 2011 as a branch of the UC Davis Technology Incubator. It was initially intended to build a motion tracker for headphones, which made it possible to add spatial awareness to off-the-shelf audio wearables. Later on, Dysonics partnered with Virgin America to implement surround sound to its in-flight entertainment system and develop 3D audio authoring software for VR content creators.
Among other employees who updated their Linkedin profiles to reflect the move to Google is Dysonics’ co-founder and CTO Robert Dalton Jr. His profile now states that he is working on developing audio hardware for his new employer, without mentioning the specifics.
The startup’s employees and technology could work for future versions of Google’s Pixel Buds which would allow the company to add special audio already available on Apple’s AirPods Pro and Max models. The same technology could be used to amp up the sound of Google’s Nest speakers.
Dysonics could power audio for future Google AR hardware to help raise Google’s profile in the AR/VR hardware space. Google has been recently making moves in AR/VR space as it acquired AR glasses maker North in June 2020.
