FeONIC, a spin-out company from Hull University, designed the F-Drive, which is capable of turning almost any surface into a high-quality loudspeaker.

It can be used to create anything from surround sound in home-stereo systems to improving the audio quality of train station announcements.

The device, which sits on a resonate surface, will be officially launched on April 1 and the company's managing director Brian Smith is travelling to China to see the first products being made.

Mr Smith said: "I have waited a long time for this. When I first learned that we could make sound in this way I knew the technology had something special about it, but in the beginning all we had was the science developed at the university."

Formed in 1994, the company spent the first few years developing its first generation of audio devices, including the Soundbug, which can turn a surface such as a table into a loudspeaker when connected to something like an iPod.

The company also came up with the Whispering Window, which uses glass panes as speakers. It has been used by stores including Marks and Spencer and John Lewis to attract passers-by with music and commentary.

Mr Smith said: "The first generation devices worked well but we knew the technology could do so much more so we have spent the last four years making it even better."

The new F-Drive is the most significant development yet because it has the ability to change the way audio is delivered in bigger public places.

It is superior to traditional speakers because of its non-directional quality.

The device is based on 'smart' material technology, a class of metals that is highly reactive to magnetic fields. When the device is connected to a particular surface, it converts it into a powerful non-directional speaker suitable for use for audio reproduction and public address speaking.

Mr Smith said: "When public announcements are made, for example in train stations, the sound gets distorted when you turn up the volume and the intelligibility factor is compromised.

"With the F-Drive the sound is broadcast over a much wider area and it doesn't distort the quality of the sound."

The F-Drive is compatible with standard amplifiers has no moving parts, making it much more robust than conventional speakers.

Two versions of the product will be available, including a mid-sized device and a professional and more powerful larger unit.