Sound suppressing fabric

[AusTex64]

I was quite skeptical until I read the paper.

https://news.mit.edu/2024/sound-sup...te-quiet-spaces-0507?utm_placement=newsletter

 

[SubSpec]

researchers found that holding the fabric still causes sound to be reflected by the fabric

I assume that this means making it still by producing (for lack of a better term) phase reversed vibrations across it rather than simply stretching it to the point that minimizes vibrations (to the extent that is even possible). Some of the wording is ambiguous about whether the second approach is active or passive, but I have to assume it is active like the first. Though a boy can dream...

Edit: Re-reading makes it clear both approaches are actively vibrating the fabric.

 

[Whoops]

I was quite skeptical until I read the paper.

https://news.mit.edu/2024/sound-sup...te-quiet-spaces-0507?utm_placement=newsletter

I’m still highly skeptical

 

[cyrano]

I've seen far too many press releases like that. Remember when the glass industry was pushing sound isolating glass? And IR radiating glass? And glass that had switchable transparency?

All inventions that were touted decades ago. You'll have a hard time buying them today, as none were as successful as their press release predicted.

 

[JohnRoberts]

I feel like we've seen this before but I can't find an earlier thread.
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+1 not likely to be practical.

JR

 

[AusTex64]

MIT is a very reputable joint I hear. And the research was funded by some heavy hitters:

<This work is funded, in part, by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Army Research Office (ARO), the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation.>

If I read this correctly, they claim 65db suppression from 200Hz to 5000Hz: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/adma.202313328

 

[JohnRoberts]

MIT is a very reputable joint I hear. And the research was funded by some heavy hitters:

<This work is funded, in part, by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Army Research Office (ARO), the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation.>

If I read this correctly, they claim 65db suppression from 200Hz to 5000Hz: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/adma.202313328

Yup my older brother got his Phd there, me I only worked there (in the Instrumentation lab).
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IIRC this invention cancels noise by generating a opposing waveform with a piezo fabric... This takes energy and sophisticated control. As often happens they are overselling this cute puppy making impractical claims for it.

JR