EDGE Sound Research, a startup founded by UC Riverside graduates that is focused on creating immersive audio experiences in sports and entertainment, will receive the city of Riverside’s Innovation Award.
“EDGE Sound Research is changing the way we experience our world,” Riverside Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson said in a city press release. “Their work is turning audio from something we hear into something we feel, which promises to create much richer and more fulfilling experiences. The possibilities are endless.”
Lock Dawson will present the award at her annual State of the City address Wednesday evening, Jan. 28, at the Riverside Convention Center.
EDGE Sound Research was launched in 2020 by Ethan Castro and Valtteri Salomaki to strengthen the connection between sound and sensation. The company aims to transform how fans experience sporting events and other forms of entertainment.
“Visual technology has had three decades to evolve and redefine realism,” Salomaki said in the press release. “Now it is audio’s turn.”
The company creates audio experiences for professional sports by isolating sounds that occur during a game and simultaneously reproducing them through stadium seating to create immersive experiences. For example, EDGE allows baseball fans seated in the upper decks to hear the crack of the bat or the sound of the ball hitting the catcher’s mitt as if they were standing next to the batter.
The work has attracted attention from the National Basketball Association, United States Tennis Association, Major League Soccer, and Fox Sports, including an annual research project at the NBA Summer League. It has been used in arena seating with the Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, Indiana University, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The company is also refining its technology for home users in partnership with Sweetwater to allow viewers to enter the soundscape of the action unfolding on screen, creating richer, more immersive experiences.
Read more about the people and technology behind Edge Sound Research.