[Steverino]

LG Display unveils thin speakers that can be hidden in car interiors (dashboard, headliner, pillar, and headrests). No speaker grills needed. No voice coils, cones or magnets, instead they use a film-like exciter technology. No rare earth elements. The speakers can vibrate off display panels and other materials inside the car body according to the company. It's called "Thin Actuator Sound Solution". The company says a "global automaker" partnered on the project.

They will be at the 2023 CES trade show.


https://www.engadget.com/lg-thin-speakers-for-automobiles-111709791.html
LG Display Develops 'Invisible' Speakers for Automobiles | LG Display Newsroom

 

[voltreg]

All of the links I hit embed the same photo of the Asian woman holding up a prototype. I can't find anything on the physics involved. Magnaplaners, ribbons and electrostatic speakers all sound pretty good as they have enough surface area and low mass that the diaphragms don't have to move much. This promotes low distortion. The problem has always been they have to be pretty large to get decent SPL and low frequency response. I use ribbon speakers in my auditorium projects on the front face of the stage lip to give the people in the front two seating rows (high rent district) an audible image that matches the stage rather than the sound that comes from the side array speakers...like the center speaker in a surround system. I'm always looking for more tools to work with. I hope the sound quality matches the hype.

 

[Steverino]

Two different but similar pictures, but it's a press release rather than a science journal research paper. If you hunt down more details, please post, voltreg. You may be able to get more details at the trade show too.

I just thought it was an interesting devlopment that could give designers more freedom and flexibility while potentially eliminating some weight and lessening reliance on expensive rare earths.