Garmin unveils GMA 350 audio panel

Garmin has unveiled its impressive new GMA 350 audio panel at the Helicopter Association International's Heli-Expo Convention in Orlando this week.

Designed for fixed-wing and rotary wing respectively, the GMA 350 and 350H boast industry-first features including voice recognition, 3D spatial audio processing, advanced auto squelch, and ambient noise based volume adjustment so the workload in the cockpit is decreased while situational awareness is increased.

Using the patented voice recognition function, the GMA 350 allows pilots to use their voice to control certain aspects of the audio system, such as selecting COM 1 or COM 2 by merely stating “COM 1” or “COM 2”, rather than pressing a button. Similarly, voice-based commands can be used to control most aspects of the audio panel that would normally be controlled with a button or knob.

The GMA 350 also includes 3D spatial processing, or “3D Audio”, which mimics the way humans process sounds and conversations. Similarly to how humans are able to focus their listening attention on a single talker among a mixture of other conversations and background noises, the GMA 350 can simulate 3D sound with stereo headsets. If the pilot is monitoring air traffic control on one radio and, say, the ATIS on another radio, the GMA 350 will separate the two conversations by placing air traffic control towards the pilot’s left and the weather towards the pilot’s right. 

“We’re able to provide pilots many capabilities that have never been available in the cockpit,” Garmin’s vice president of marketing, Gary Kelley, said of the GMA 350.

“And the expandable architecture means we’ve laid the groundwork so that pilots will likely see new capabilities added via software updates, rather than hardware updates that are often times cost prohibitive.”

The GMA 350 and GMA 350H are expected to be available in the second quarter of this year for an expected retail price of US$2395 and US$2695 respectively.