We conducted a huge battery of tests and took a great many samples since creating the circuits, and the acoustic model required the accumulation of vast amounts of data. For example, we tested 300 people to create our acoustic model. Since testing for one person required at least one month, testing 300 people represents a total of over 300 months. Since Alpine owns the facilities, test rooms, and test courses (which reproduce the various irregular road surfaces encountered by cars all over the world), we ran tests incessantly. We also asked researchers in Alpine groups across the world to obtain running data for each local area.
The total distance of all our running tests, including both test courses and public roads, is certainly over 50,000 kilometers. I carried the prototype in my car and commuted taking different roads every day and sometimes purposely took longer ways to work to check. I specifically tried to measure the data reflecting the actual usage circumstances of customers.
As the prototype came close completion, we performed on-road tests repeatedly by using a dummy doll with ultra small microphone in its ears in the front passenger’s seat. Toll collectors at tool booths on the highway looked at the dummy in surprise. Once when I was getting data and adjusting the dummy doll in a parking area, I saw some high school girls pointing their fingers at me and whispering. I guess I looked a bit suspicious. That was embarrassing. |
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