I-Corps: See-through Technology

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of technology to control noise pollution by visualizing sound and sound sources wherever they may be. There is a direct link between high-dose noise exposure to the high stresses, high blood pressures, speech interferences, hearing losses, sleep disruptions, etc. Noise mitigation and control are mandatory requirements at all levels of governments and industries. The proposed technology will play a key role in tackling various noise issues at sources, which is the most cost-effective approach. It is applicable to all industries ranging from transportation such as cars, trucks, motorcycles, trains, aircrafts, etc. to household appliances such as vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, washing machines, etc. where noise is of a primary concern, and it can supplement artificial intelligence and enhance the visual and hearing senses of robots to mitigate noise issues. This I-Corps project is based on the development of technology to determine the root causes of noise and vibrations of complex machines. The proposed may fundamentally change the notions of holography, optical holography, acoustic holography, near-field acoustic holography, photo-acoustic holography, etc., which limit holography to be done in a homogeneous and uniform medium; and it enables one to visualize a 3D acoustic field without bounds because visualization of the sound field may be done across different elastic media. Together with other proprietary algorithms, it is possible for engineers to see all vibroacoustic quantities, including the acoustic pressure, the acoustic intensity, the operational deflection shapes of a vibrating structure at any frequency, visualize the excitation forces acting behind and inside solid enclosures, establish the interrelationship between sound radiation and structural vibration, and mitigate noise and vibration issues in the most cost-effective manner. Using these innovative technologies, engineers will be able to conduct the targeted noise control to reduce noise emission without adding masses to complex machines, thus lowering the fuel consumption and overall costs. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.