Siemens presented a digital twin developed specifically for large spaces intended for the organization of cultural events. This technology enables a realistic imitation and a very accurate simulation of the acoustics and structure of the object. The app, called Sound of Science, will be used for the first time in the Great Festival House during the Salzburg Festival. It will allow organizers of cultural events to virtually explore changing acoustics in different spatial configurations.
For example, how the addition of acoustic panels will affect the listening experience, and subsequently choose the optimal acoustic scenario. At the same time, it will be possible to try out and arrange various orchestra formations in advance even before a single note is heard in the real world. This approach saves money, resources and time.
Siemens will make the Sound of Science technology available to selected cultural partners free of charge as a demo application. Currently, it is not planning to launch it on the market, but the corresponding simulation solutions can be purchased. The first and so far the only large space where Sound of Science is available is the Grand Festival House of the Salzburg Festival. But Siemens intends to offer digital simulations for other spaces as well, including concert halls in Germany and England. During the Salzburg Festival, the audience will have a unique opportunity to use VR glasses to try out the application on the occasion of the opening of the festival on July 20, 2024.
The technologies used are part of the Siemens Simcenter simulation solutions, which have been the main part of the company’s business for more than 15 years. They are mainly used in industry, for example for the acoustic optimization of vehicle interiors or for protection against street noise. In the case of the Sound of Science application, Simcenter uses a combination of impulse response measurement and so-called ray tracing for 3D modeling of cultural space. These methods can measure the echo and reverberation of sound and simulate the way sound waves propagate in space. Sound wave reflections behave differently depending on the material. Those that bounce off a concrete wall react differently than sound waves that hit carpet or go directly to the listener’s ear. The simulation can then reproduce the individual sound signature of each cultural space – in other words, its acoustic DNA.
Siemens has been closely cooperating with the Salzburg Festival for around 30 years. Since 1999, it has also been the main sponsor of the festival. Since 2002, the Siemens Festival Nights have been held at Kapitelplatz during the Salzburg Festival. Since then, this open-air event has been visited by more than one million spectators, who had the opportunity to watch previous and current festival productions on the LED screen for free. In addition, some other venues of the Salzburg Festival are equipped with Siemens technologies in the areas of building automation, security and acoustics.
Source: www.cad.cz
