ScienceDaily: Acoustics News

A microphone that listens with light: microphones have hyper-acute hearing and a sense of direction

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:16:16 EDT

A new sensor will help to make microphones hypersensitive: "Think of traditional videoconference equipment. Several people are sitting around the table, but the microphone has been placed where its sound reception is less than optimal. With technology of this sort, a microphone will be able to "see" where the sound comes from, pick up the voice of the person speaking, and filter out other sources of noise in the room," explains one of the researchers.

Four microphones and a computer algorithm are enough to produce a 3-D model of a simple, convex room

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:08:08 EDT

An algorithm makes it possible to measure the dimensions of a room using just a few microphones and a snap of your fingers. There are many promising applications on the horizon.

Carbon nanotubes for molecular magnetic resonances

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 19:57:57 EDT

Researchers have developed a new technique for measuring very weak forces on a molecular scale. Thanks to the use of carbon nanotubes, they have achieved the highest level of sensitivity to date. These results open the door for magnetic resonance imaging of individual molecules.

NASA builds sophisticated Earth-observing microwave radiometer

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 13:28:28 EDT

A NASA team delivered in May a sophisticated microwave radiometer specifically designed to overcome the pitfalls that have plagued similar Earth-observing instruments in the past. Literally years in the making, the new radiometer, which is designed to measure the intensity of electromagnetic radiation, specifically microwaves, is equipped with one of the most sophisticated signal-processing systems ever developed for an Earth science satellite mission.

Sensitive flow sensor: Hair sensor uncovers hidden signals

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 10:15:15 EDT

An “artificial cricket hair” used as a sensitive flow sensor has difficulty detecting weak, low-frequency signals – they tend to be drowned out by noise. But now, a bit of clever tinkering with the flexibility of the tiny hair’s supports has made it possible to boost the signal-to-noise ratio by a factor of 25. This in turn means that weak flows can now be measured.

NASA builds sophisticated Earth-observing microwave radiometer

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 19:07:07 EDT

A NASA team delivered in May a sophisticated microwave radiometer specifically designed to overcome the pitfalls that have plagued similar Earth-observing instruments in the past.

New maps show how shipping noise spans the globe

Thu, 30 May 2013 15:28:28 EDT

Scientists have modeled shipping noise on a global scale.

Sensitive new microphone modeled on fly ear

Thu, 30 May 2013 15:28:28 EDT

Using the sensitive ears of a parasitic fly for inspiration, a group of researchers has created a new type of microphone that achieves better acoustical performance than what is currently available in hearing aids.

Secrets of the cicada's sound

Thu, 30 May 2013 15:28:28 EDT

Researchers are trying to make an artificial cicada for underwater communication.

New speaker system for cars creates separate 'audio zones' for front and rear seats

Thu, 30 May 2013 15:28:28 EDT

A new approach achieves a significant level of isolation between the front and rear listening zones within a car.

Native Ohioans' speaking patterns help scientists decipher famous moon landing quote

Thu, 30 May 2013 15:28:28 EDT

Speech scientists and psychologists discuss a novel approach to deciphering Armstrong’s famous moon landing quote.

Flirting with the satnav

Wed, 29 May 2013 09:22:22 EDT

Researchers have investigated how drivers are affected emotionally by the sounds in their car other than the noise of the engine and the road in particular the voice of their satellite navigation system (satnav).

Gold nanocrystal vibration captured on billion-frames-per-second film

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:35:35 EDT

A billon-frames-per-second film has captured the vibrations of gold nanocrystals in stunning detail for the first time.

Making chaos visible: As chaos celebrates its 50th birthday, biophysicist Christian Herbst develops a new method to visualize it

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:12:12 EDT

Exactly 50 years after the US-American meteorologist Edward Lorenz discovered chaos (remember the "butterfly effect?") the topic is still as fascinating as ever. A new visualization technique helps to make chaos visible to the naked eye. The method allows for the intuitive interpretation of chaotic or nearly chaotic phenomena, and thus makes the fascinating world of chaos theory more accessible to the scientific community.

Violins can mimic the human voice

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 13:53:53 EDT

For many years, some musical experts have wondered if the sound of the Stradivari and Guarneri violins might incorporate such elements of speech as vowels and consonants. A Texas A&M University researcher has now provided the first evidence that the Italian violin masters tried to impart specific vowel sounds to their violins.

Cooled integrated circuit amplifies with lowest noise so far

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 09:07:07 EDT

Researchers have demonstrated an integrated amplifier with the lowest noise performance so far. The amplifier offers new possibilities for detecting the faintest electromagnetic radiation, for example from distant galaxies.

Smallest vibration sensor in the quantum world

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 09:59:59 EDT

Carbon nanotubes and magnetic molecules are considered building blocks of future nanoelectronic systems. Their electric and mechanical properties play an important role. Researchers have now found a way to combine both components on the atomic level and to build a quantum mechanical system with novel properties.

Putting HiFi into cochlear implants

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 20:02:02 EST

Scientists have developed a way to reprogram cochlear implants that dramatically improves the quality and clarity of users’ hearing.

New tool for measuring frozen gas in ocean floor sediments

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:34:34 EST

Scientists have developed an instrument capable of simulating the high pressures and low temperatures needed to create hydrate in sediment samples.

Noise protection: Multifunctional and aesthetical

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 13:33:33 EST

Noise abatement is growing in importance, thus, the demand for better acoustic building components raises. Scientists are developing new solutions: aesthetically good looking and flexibly applicable microperforated sound absorbers.

New implant replaces impaired middle ear

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 09:25:25 EST

Functionally deaf patients can gain normal hearing with a new implant that replaces the middle ear. The unique invention has been approved for a clinical study.

How to treat heat like light: New approach using nanoparticle alloys allows heat to be focused or reflected just like electromagnetic waves

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 09:27:27 EST

A new technique provides a new way of manipulating heat, allowing it to be controlled much as light waves can be manipulated by lenses and mirrors.

Mechanism of hearing is similar to car battery, researcher learns

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 14:57:57 EST

Biologists have shown that one of the mechanisms involved in hearing is similar to the battery in your car. And if that isn't interesting enough, the scientists advanced their knowledge of human hearing by studying a similar auditory system in fruit flies -- and by making use of the fruit fly "love song."

Super-fine sound beam could one day be an invisible scalpel

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 17:39:39 EST

A carbon-nanotube-coated lens that converts light to sound can focus high-pressure sound waves to finer points than ever before. The engineering researchers who developed the new therapeutic ultrasound approach say it could lead to an invisible knife for noninvasive surgery.

Noise power on adhesion: New model may help robotic fingers, made of a soft surface, manipulate small objects

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 09:13:13 EST

A new model could ultimately help robotic fingers, made of a soft surface, manipulate small objects. Imagine a solid ball rolling down a slightly inclined ramp. Scientists have studied the effect of random noise, such as vibrations, on a ball. They found it could lower the energy barrier to set the ball in motion.

'Smart stethoscope' advance in monitoring treatment of kidney stones

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 09:28:28 EST

A new listening device is being used to monitor the effectiveness of the treatment of kidney stones -- saving patients unnecessary repeat therapy and x-ray monitoring. The new 'Smart stethoscope' is placed on a patient's skin as they undergo shock wave treatment for kidney stones and assesses whether the treatment is working.

Smartphones might soon develop emotional intelligence: Algorithm for speech-based emotion classification developed

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 08:13:13 EST

If you think having your phone identify the nearest bus stop is cool, wait until it identifies your mood. Engineers may soon make that possible. Researchers have developed a new computer program that gauges human feelings through speech, with substantially greater accuracy than existing approaches.

Researchers synthesize new kind of silk fiber, and use music to fine-tune material's properties

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 11:21:21 EST

Researchers have synthesized a new kind of silk fiber -- and find that music can help fine-tune the material's properties.

Owls' ability to fly in acoustic stealth provides clues to mitigating conventional aircraft noise

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 10:45:45 EST

Owls have the uncanny ability to fly silently, relying on specialized plumage to reduce noise so they can hunt in acoustic stealth. Researchers are studying the owl’s wing structure to better understand how it mitigates noise so they can apply that information to the design of conventional aircraft.

Key to super-sensory hearing? Newly identified hearing organ in bushcrickets' ears may inspire acoustic sensors

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 14:15:15 EST

Researchers have identified a new hearing organ which provides the missing link to understanding how sound is transmitted within the ears of bushcrickets. This discovery will make a valuable contribution to creating bio-inspired acoustic sensors of the future, from medical imaging equipment in hospitals to developing improved hearing aid devices.

First noiseless single photon amplifier

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 10:10:10 EST

Research physicists have demonstrated the first device capable of amplifying the information in a single particle of light without adding noise. The next step will be to build additional quantum teleportation into the experiment, which will make the noiseless amplifier more directly useful for long-distance communication.

Next-generation echo sounder ready

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 07:38:38 EST

Echo sounders are used to find fish in the ocean, observe their behavior, and estimate their quantity and size as well as the abundance and distribution of the plankton upon which fish feed. Research vessels and many fishing vessels typically use echo sounders that send and receive signals on up to six frequencies. Norwegian researchers have now developed an echo sounder that works on 100 frequencies simultaneously.

Build your own home theater for full-blast entertainment with 'Virtual Sound Ball'

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 13:04:04 EST

Scientists have developed audio rendering systems, "Virtual Sound Ball" and "Spatial Equalizer" that will considerably improve the current 3-D audio effects technology.

Voice prostheses can help patients regain their lost voice

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 09:30:30 EDT

Help is on the way for people who suffer from vocal cord dysfunction. Researchers are developing methods that will contribute to manufacturing voice prostheses with improved affective features. For example, for little girls who have lost their voices, the improved artificial voice devices can produce age-appropriate voices, instead of the usual voice of an adult male.

Self-powered sensors to monitor nuclear fuel rod status

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 12:39:39 EDT

Japan's Fukushima Dai'ichi nuclear disaster that occurred in 2011 -- a result of the strongest earthquake on record in the country and the powerful tsunami waves it triggered -- underscored the need for a method to monitor the status of nuclear fuel rods that doesn't rely on electrical power.

Glove keyboard may revolutionize use of devices with one hand

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 09:03:03 EDT

Give a hand to some computer engineering students for designing a tool that could revolutionize new ways of using electronic devices with just one hand. It's called a Gauntlet Keyboard, a glove device that functions as a wireless keyboard. Instead of tapping keys on a keyboard, the user simply touches their thumb to points on their fingers assigned a letter or other keyboard function.

Taking the bite out of baseball bats

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 10:29:29 EDT

Miss hitting the "sweet spot" on a baseball bat and the resulting vibrations can zing your hands. Bat companies have tried for decades to reduce these painful shocks with limited success. But acoustics researcher Daniel Russell has figured out that bat vibrations between 600 and 700 hertz (Hz) cause the most pain and that specifically tuned vibration absorbers are the best at combating the sting.

Short booms still annoying: How mid-level noise bursts affect concentration of arithmetic-solving test subjects

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 10:29:29 EDT

Noise can be distracting, especially to a person trying to concentrate on a difficult task. Studying annoying noises helps architects design better building environments and policy makers choose effective noise regulations. To better understand how short noise bursts affect humans' mental state, researchers played quarter-second-long white noise clips to test subjects as they worked on arithmetic problems. The researchers noticed a slight general trend toward lower performance when louder noises were played, and also identified sound level ranges that caused participants to report significant levels of annoyance.

'He says, she says': How characteristics of automated voice systems affect users' experience

Fri, 21 Sep 2012 14:03:03 EDT

Human factors/ergonomics researchers have studied how the gender and tone selected for an interactive voice response system, or IVR, affects its user-friendliness.

Sounds of space: New 'chorus' recording by Radiation Belt Storm Probes' EMFISIS instrument

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 17:07:07 EDT

Researchers from the Electric and Magnetic Field Instrument Suite and Integrated Science (EMFISIS) team at the University of Iowa have released a new recording of an intriguing and well-known phenomenon known as "chorus," made on Sept. 5, 2012.

World’s first transformable historic organ can span centuries

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 13:26:26 EDT

Cornell University's new baroque organ has become the world's first organ with multiple historic wind systems. The $2 million organ is the culmination of more than seven years of research, and more than two years of work by 21st-century craftsmen, who used authentic 17th- and early 18th-century methods to build the instrument.

Invention will strike a chord with musicians

Fri, 24 Aug 2012 09:34:34 EDT

Digital software and hardware is set to revolutionize the music industry around the world.

First direct observations of quantum effects in an optomechanical system

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 14:20:20 EDT

Using a unique optical trapping system that provides ensembles of ultracold atoms, scientists have recorded the first direct observations of distinctly quantum optical effects -- amplification and squeezing -- in an optomechanical system. Their findings point the way toward low-power quantum optical devices and enhanced detection of gravitational waves among other possibilities.

New research promises quiet cars -- even when hitting unexpected bumps in the road

Tue, 14 Aug 2012 11:09:09 EDT

New research featuring a mathematical model for quick-response, noise-cancellation designed to minimize sudden and unexpected noise caused by road hazards -- bumps or potholes for example -- has just been developed.

Military aircraft will soon be quieter

Tue, 14 Aug 2012 10:02:02 EDT

Innovations on reducing the noise of the United State's most sophisticated military aircraft have been developed.

Musical glove improves sensation, mobility for people with spinal cord injury

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 11:17:17 EDT

Researchers have created a wireless, musical glove that may improve sensation and motor skills for people with paralyzing spinal cord injury.

Getting amped: Instrument for exploring the cosmos and the quantum world created

Fri, 13 Jul 2012 16:19:19 EDT

Researchers have developed a new type of amplifier for boosting electrical signals. The device can be used for everything from studying stars, galaxies, and black holes to exploring the quantum world and developing quantum computers.

Music to my eyes: Device converting images into music helps visually impaired find things with ease

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 16:12:12 EDT

Sensory substitution devices (SSDs) use sound or touch to help the visually impaired perceive the visual scene surrounding them. The ideal SSD would assist not only in sensing the environment but also in performing daily activities based on this input. For example, accurately reaching for a coffee cup, or shaking a friend's hand. In a new study, scientists trained blindfolded sighted participants to perform fast and accurate movements using a new SSD, called EyeMusic.

Musical robot companion enhances listener experience

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 16:38:38 EDT

Wedding DJs everywhere should be worried about job security now that a new robot is on the scene. Shimi, an interactive musical companion recommends songs, dances to the beat and keeps the music pumping based on listener feedback.

Instrument integration begins at Goddard on MMS spacecraft

Sat, 09 Jun 2012 05:13:13 EDT

The decks have arrived. Engineers working on NASA'S Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission have started integrating instruments on the first of four instrument decks in a newly fabricated cleanroom at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. The MMS mission consists of four identical spacecraft, and each instrument deck will have 25 sensors per spacecraft.

Artificial muscle as shock absorber: Dampen annoying vibrations in a car or supply wireless power

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 09:30:30 EDT

Engineers are working on intelligent materials that can diminish vibrations and extract power from the environment. These electro-active elastomers could dampen annoying vibrations in a car, for example, or supply wireless power to sensors in otherwise inaccessible places.

Prototype device translates sign language

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 13:59:59 EDT

The hearing impaired may soon have an easier time communicating with those who do not understand sign language due to a new device. During the past semester, students in engineering technology and industrial design programs teamed up to develop the concept and prototype for MyVoice, a device that reads sign language and translates its motions into audible words.

New research could mean faster computers and better smart phones

Tue, 15 May 2012 05:23:23 EDT

Graphene and carbon nanotubes could improve the electronics used in computers and mobile phones, reveals new research.

Portable diagnostics designed to be shaken, not stirred

Wed, 09 May 2012 09:24:24 EDT

A textured surface mimics a lotus leaf to move drops of liquid in particular directions. The low-cost system could be used in portable medical or environmental tests.

The risk of listening to amplified music

Tue, 08 May 2012 15:20:20 EDT

Listening to amplified music for less than 1.5 hours produces measurable changes in hearing ability that may place listeners at risk of noise-induced hearing loss, new research shows.

Dolphin speaker to enhance study of dolphin vocalizations and acoustics

Tue, 08 May 2012 15:19:19 EDT

To gain new insights into how dolphins communicate, researchers in Japan created a prototype of an extremely broadband “dolphin speaker” capable of projecting dolphins’ communication sounds, whistles, burst-pulse sounds, as well as detection sounds such as echolocation clicks.

Acoustic diode, providing one-way transmission of sound, promises to improve ultrasound imaging

Tue, 08 May 2012 15:19:19 EDT

An acoustic diode, enabling the one-way transmission of sound waves, could dramatically improve the quality of medical ultrasound imaging and lead to better sound dampening materials. Such a device has now been created.

'Game-powered machine learning' opens door to Google for music

Fri, 04 May 2012 13:59:59 EDT

Engineers have shown that a computer can be taught to automatically label every song on the Internet using sets of examples provided by unpaid music fans. The researchers report that their solution, "game-powered machine learning," would enable music lovers to search every song on the web.

Patented 'noise sponge' quiets combustion

Tue, 01 May 2012 18:27:27 EDT

Breakthrough technology decreases the noise generated by combustion systems at the source by placing a sponge-like material directly in the flame.

Restoring hearing with discrete device: A middle-ear microphone for more convenient cochlear implants

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:10:10 EDT

Cochlear implants have restored basic hearing to some 220,000 deaf people, yet a microphone and related electronics must be worn outside the head, raising reliability issues, preventing patients from swimming and creating social stigma. Now, engineers have developed a tiny prototype microphone that can be implanted in the middle ear to avoid such problems.