• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Engineering Designer Magazine

Engineering Designer

  • Home
  • Technology
  • Education
  • Sustainability
  • Materials
  • Medical
  • Construction
  • Advertise
  • iED
You are here: Home / Materials / Researcher aims to miniaturise acoustic metamaterials

Researcher aims to miniaturise acoustic metamaterials

January 17, 2022 by Geordie Torr

A University of Strathclyde researcher has been awarded an EPSRC grant to investigate the possibility of using miniaturised acoustic metamaterials in headphones and other portable audio devices. Joseph Jackson, a lecturer in electronics and electrical engineering at Strathclyde, has been awarded £422,394 to carry out the two-year project.

Advertisement

Acoustic metamaterials are artificially created materials that have been specifically designed to control, direct and manipulate sound waves. They can be used to supress the noise emanating from an object or to stop noises from reaching the ear.

The nature of these properties depends on the shape and geometry of the metamaterial. The new project aims to use microscale 3D printing to develop miniaturised acoustic metamaterials that can be incorporated into personal audio devices in order to enhance features such as noise cancellation.

Advertisement

According to Jackson, by 3D-printing small acoustic systems that can be stacked on top of each other, it should be possible to create tiny acoustic metamaterials that operate at audio frequencies.

‘Unfortunately, acoustic metamaterials, which promise a step change in the way materials interact with sound, are still very large for audio frequencies,’ said Jackson. ‘We will try to miniaturise acoustic materials to make sound-absorbing materials that are small and lightweight while retaining good acoustic function.

‘Companies are working on noise-reduction technologies, but these are mainly electro-acoustic techniques: signal acquisition, phase shifting, playback,’ he continued. ‘We are trying to miniaturise acoustic metamaterials to enable their use in wearable devices instead of, or in addition to, active noise cancellation.’

As well as noise-cancelling headphones, the technology has potential applications in devices such as hearing aids and other sensors.

Filed Under: Materials, Technology

Advertisement

Primary Sidebar

SUBSCRIBE And get a FREE Magazine

Want a FREE magazine each and every month jam-packed with the latest engineering and design news, views and features?

ED Update Magazine

Simply let us know where to send it by entering your name and email below. Immediate access.

Trending

Engineers design low-cost blood-pressure monitor that clips onto your phone

New metamaterials combine mutually exclusive properties

Making wind power greener with compostable turbine blades

Termite mounds offer tips for creating living, breathing buildings that use less energy

Designing oyster-based shoreline protection

Engineers designing safer, more effective hydrogen injector for gas turbines

New construction guides aim to reduce risk of future tragedies

Engineers develop 3D-printed wearable sweat sensor

Loughborough University offers experience day for prospective engineering students

Discovery makes possible the optimisation of thermal-energy storage

Footer

About Engineering Designer

Engineering Designer is the quarterly journal of the Insitution of Engineering Designers.

It is produced by the IED for our Members and for those who have an interest in engineering and product design, as well as CAD users.

Click here to learn more about the IED.

Other Pages

  • Contact us
  • About us
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms
  • Institution of Engineering Designers

Search

Tags

ied

Copyright © 2023 · Site by Syon Media