SHC Visits Dolby Laboratories

by Thai Chu

March 28, 2017 | Staff Post, Faculty Post, Alumni Post, Student Post

SHC Inquiry & Innovation students recently visited Dolby Laboratories, Inc. for a behind-the-scenes tour of their facilities and an exclusive look at the science behind their new sound technology, Dolby Atmos.

Dolby recording studio

Students visited Dolby’s new state-of-the-art cinema, their newest and largest lab located at their San Francisco headquarters. The cinema, which seats more than 230, includes Dolby Vision High Dynamic Range laser projection and Dolby Atmos immersive audio.

Among the other locations students toured were Dolby’s bio-physical lab, mix lab and recording studio, the muse lab (live DJ mixing in Dolby Atmos), and a gaming lab. Along the way, Dolby engineers and scientists offered their professional insights into the industry-altering technologies that Dolby has developed.

I2 scholars get comfortable in the Dolby board room

Inquiry & Innovation Program Director Liam Carey shares, “Visiting Dolby allowed I2 students to make a clear connection between the science and technology at Dolby and the many interests they have in music, movies and video games. Each student left with a sense of the innovation in sound and cinema that has happened at Dolby, as well as the many people required to work as a team in order to achieve this success.”

"To be an inventor, you have to be willing to live with a sense of uncertainty, to work inside this darkness and grope towards an answer, to put up with anxiety about whether there is an answer." -Ray Dolby

Students learn about Dolby’s commissioned artwork.

Sculptor Nikki Stars created this installation at Dolby to honor its employees with "golden ears."

View of St. Mary’s Cathedral from Dolby’s terrace.