Bose is best known for its speakers and headphones, but it spent years quietly
developing an electromagnetic active car suspension system that offered incredibly smooth rides. Code-named Project Sound, the suspension system was a technological success but a commercial failure -- because it was too heavy and too costly to put into mainstream vehicles.
Now it may have a future. ClearMotion, a Boston-based startup that's developed road-sensing technology with the mission of "Improving the quality of time in cars," has acquired the Project Sound active suspension and other predictive road-sensing software from Bose.
Bose, which is privately held, didn't disclose financial details of the deal but told CNET that it's not an investor in ClearMotion, which raised $100 million from venture backers after being founded by three MIT students in 2008. It has additional offices in Silicon Valley and the UK.
As part of the deal, ClearMotion also acquired the technology for Bose Ride, a special "active" car seat for truckers that improves ride quality and reduces occupant fatigue. Bose used what it had learned from developing the active car suspension system to create Bose Ride, but it remains a niche product. https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/bose-sells-its-futuristic-car-suspension-system-to-clearmotion/
