Mapping with Sounds

Jun-20-13 A new microphone system that maps areas with sound could allow architects to design rooms based on their precise sound specifications.

The system, created by a team from Switzerland’s EPFL, uses a set of four microphones and a computer algorithm to analyze and compare the sounds picked up by the microphones. The placement of the microphones in the room does not matter. The computer is able to differentiate between each sound as it’s picked up by each mic from both the original source and as an echo, even if the echo is only a fraction of a second later. The delay between the sounds is then analyzed to calculate the distance of the walls in all directions.

The team believes the system eventually be applied to mobile devices, enabling them deduce location information inside buildings where GPS does not reach, as well as host of other uses.

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[GIZMAG.COM]
[EPFL]

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