Independent:
The Auracast Pathfinders
Imagine having sermon audio delivered directly to your earbuds or hearing aids, or choosing from multiple audio streams at a conference—worship music for the prayer room, children’s activities from the kids’ zone, or the main teaching—all through your phone. This is the promise of Auracast — an emerging Bluetooth 5.4 technology that creates ecosystems of audio connectivity.
Unlike traditional centralised sound systems, Auracast enables a loose network of dedicated transmitters and receivers. There can be multiple audio feeds from different hosts. Expected range 50+ metres. In addition, any individual’s Auracast phone can be both a transmitter and receiver. These networks can be daisy-chained to cover entire stadiums, and they benefit everyone—not just those with hearing difficulties.
The Auracast Pathfinders want to build the foundation of this ecosystem: an Auracast Assistant app that helps people discover and connect to Christ-centred audio services around them, much like choosing Wi-Fi networks today.
At BUILD, the R&D exploration will focus on:
- Building a white-label, open-source Auracast Assistant as the core discovery tool
- Investigating ways to upgrade legacy phones using firmware, dongles, or 3.5mm adapters
- Exploring multi-service environments where different hosts offer various audio streams
- Prototyping peer-to-peer capabilities for private group sharing
This isn’t about replacing sound desks, it’s about creating new possibilities. Multiple transmitters offering different services in the same space. Private encrypted audio sharing between friends. Seamless connection to whatever audio matters most to you in that moment.
This project is about building the open-source foundations for a technology that could transform how Christian communities share audio experiences.
- Skills needed: Development, Bluetooth/Audio Engineering, UX/UI Design
- Tech stack: Bluetooth 5.4, Auracast specification, open-source development
