SenSound partners with Tenn firm to bring WSU tech to market

A Wayne State University spin-out is partnering with a Tennessee company to help get its innovative testing technology to the market with an Asian automaker serving as the first customer.

SenSound began partnering with Tennessee-based QuadraScan about six months ago. The two tech firms have found a way to bring SenSound's testing technology, which utilizes sound waves, to market through a pilot program with Nissan in Tennessee.

"It (SenSound's technology) was right up our alley," says Warren Brown, senior vice president of sales & marketing for QuadraScan. "We told them we could help them make it better. We have one successful test sale going and we have the potential to secure more."

SenSound's technology was first developed in Wayne State University. The technology creates a 3-D image of sound in space and time that can pinpoint the exact source of noise in a large number of products with a high degree of resolution and accuracy. It will provide manufacturers of automobiles, airplanes, ships, consumer appliances and industrial machinery with an invaluable tool to quickly and accurately isolate and resolve problems of unwanted sound.

"We tend to think of sound as something you can listen to, but it's much easier for people to see something," says Sergio Mazza, president & CEO of SenSound. "That's what we do. We help people see sound."

The 8-year-old firm is composed of a team of six people and has hired one person in sales. Mazza hopes to leverage the new launch of its technology to create a large customer base filled with automotive suppliers. He hopes that customer base will allow SenSound to hire another 5-10 people over the next year.

Source: Sergio Mazza, president & CEO of SenSound and Warren Brown, senior vice president of sales & marketing for QuadraScan
Writer: Jon Zemke

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