Acoustics & Audio Technology News

Scientists recently established that humans can ascertain the shape of an object by merely "processing specially coded sounds." Surprisingly, this feat is readily accomplished with no visual or tactile inputs. This opens up a wealth of possibilities to help people who are blind or possess impaired vision.

Like dolphins that utilize echolocation to navigate, humans can train their brains to determine shapes by sound. In the study conducted at the at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, blindfolded subjects (who could see) learned how to link auditory input from abstract shapes to tactile experience with the same shapes.

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The NS100 from Convergence Instruments records instantaneous and integrated acoustic levels for up to 10 days. Its very small size allows it to be clipped on a person, or embedded within monitored equipment.

The included instrument management/analysis software and LabVIEW driver also allow monitoring of acoustic levels in real-time.

IES-2000, Inc. has developed various surface treatments to protect the integrity of the foam from these elements. Acousti-Foams can be purchased in rolls or sheets, and can be die cut or fabricated to customer specifications. They are easily cut with a knife, saw, or scissors.

Physicists developed a supermicrophone that can zoom in on the conversation of just one person in a sports stadium. Linked to a wide angle camera, the AudioScope harnesses a circular array of 300 microphones. When the camera zooms in, software calculates the time for sound to travel from the target point to each microphone, digitally correcting and synchronizing each audio feed to that location.

Probably the first of its kind, a new sound sensor system measures and analyzes soil acoustics, predicting when a landslide is likely to occur. Early warnings are then issued via text messages alerting local authorities to take appropriate actions like evacuation. Functioning as microphones in the soil, the sensors gauge increasing acoustic emissions. Each sensor transmits acoustic data to a central computer that analyzes it.

Refurbishing a Victorian terrace to accommodate homeless families was a challenge in a London borough because of thoroughfare noise and security concerns, not to mention preserving the original architecture. Using secondary windows incorporating a low-emissivity hard coat on the laminate glass became the definitive solution, delivering 48 dB noise reduction, thereby exceeding requirements.

In Orange County, CA, a unique solution blocks I-5 interstate traffic noise so residents don't have to hear it. Transportation authorities opted to install a 1600 ft long acrylic sound wall along residents' backyards. In contrast to a solid concrete barrier wall, this alternative preserves residents' beautiful views. The transparent option reduces noise by 8-12 dBA, surpassing the 5 dBA requirement.

Densitron Corporation breaks the 6 in. touchscreen barrier with the introduction of their 5.7 in. Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) touchscreen into North American Markets. Industries such as medical equipment and industrial instrument manufactures are looking toward touch screens to enhance the user experience of their products.

ATE's innovative P2C propriety design using APTIV has a number of key acoustic properties, including lower distortion and ringing, no break-up-modes, very simple crossovers, and a flatter frequency response in comparison to cones made from conventional materials such as polypropylene, paper, and aluminium cones.

Heat exchangers perform irreplaceable key roles in chemical/power plants, refineries, HVAC equipment, and more. Eventual degradation and failure is commonplace because of the corrosion involved. Now there's a new way to inspect heat exchangers: acoustic pulse reflectometry, which makes 100% inspection possible. Using "pseudonoise," this new NDT tool can thoroughly and quickly inspect all tubes to find all critical faults.

Nanjing University researchers have taken their acoustic diode from theory to reality. The acoustic rectifier is made of an ultrasound-gel layer and a lattice of alternate water and glass layers. One nanophotonics expert characterizes the discovery as important as the electronic diode. Meanwhile, California Institute of Technology researchers are developing a more tunable diode utilizing different kinds of acoustic crystals.

Restored to DVD, Charlie Chaplin's film The Circus purportedly has footage that appears to be a woman using a cell phone in 1928. The pertinent excerpt shows the lady walking and talking with her hand holding something up to her ear. If it's an early box-like hearing aid, is she talking to hear her own voice? Judge for yourself in this video clip.

"Vishing" (or voice fishing) is undergoing a resurgence because cellular and VoIP (voice over IP) networks are susceptible to fake caller IDs and the ability to route fraudulent calls via multiple networks. Fortunately, Georgia Tech researchers have come up with a way to trace them. Utilizing a digital fingerprint — exclusive to each phone and every call — PinDr0p technology can now identify these intrusions.

BK Precision 735 Sound Level Meter, Digital, Datalogging, with RS-232 software and cable.

Whether you are testing for OSHA compliance, quieting equipment, or monitoring the roar of a stadium crowd, B+K Precision's Sound Level Meters can get the job done. With the model 735, BK Precision can meet all your sound testing needs.

The SoundTrack LxT® from Larson Davis. Now the same price of a Type 2 Meter, and packed with numerous beneficial features:

•  Up to 20 hours of battery-powered continuous operation
•  Power by AC, DC, battery, or USB
•  Large, easy-to-read display, even in direct sunlight
•  and much more…

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Local opposition to aircraft noise is putting a crimp in the implementation of performance-based navigation (PBN). Utilizing satellite navigation, PBN empowers "green efficiency" due to direct routing of flights, shorter gaps between aircraft, and more accurate ascents/descents. Advantages include fuel savings, reduced emissions, and improved airport capacity. Unfortunately, a smaller environmental footprint for jets overall can produce more jet noise in specific areas.

The latest security biometric may now be the human ear. University of Southampton researchers have developed a way that is 99.6% successful in identifying ears. Here, the helix — a tubular crest over the top of the ear — is unique. It also doesn't change with age as does an iris. To define the necessary vision algorithm, the researchers utilized a light ray analogy to trace the ear's helix.

Super Mike Can Hear Everything at a Sports Event

If you could, would you like to?