The CES 2014 convention is underway in Las Vegas and a bevy of new gadgets are on display. One audio product that has shone out is ClearView’s Clio loudspeakers. The speaker comprises a transparent curved perspex sheet that is mounted in a black base that houses the drive mechanism. The curve sheet acts as the sound radiator and is driven by piezo-electric actuators on the bottom edge of the sheet. This type of drive mechanism is patented and called EdgeMotion.
Here is a photo from ClearView’s media gallery. Try to find their speaker!
On a related topic of audio, at the bottom of the ClearView’s web page is a selected history of the development of audio technology which is worth a quick look. You’ll see familiar company names like Siemens, Lansing, Jensen, Kloss, Thiele and Small, and others. Of course the history of the development of audio technology is much more detailed and many many developments are missing, but their selected list is interesting nonetheless.