Technology: Fabrics that can hear
A paper that published a fabric woven with special fibers that can detect sound efficiently,Nature Will be published in.Inspired by the complex auditory system of the human ear, these fabrics can be used for two-way communication, assist in sound source localization, or monitor cardiac activity.
The development of fabrics capable of detecting and processing sound may open up a variety of practical applications (eg, from advances in computing fabrics to security and biomedicine).
Now, Yoel Fink and colleagues reveal that a new design of fabric, inspired by the complex structure of the ear, where the vibrations generated by the sound are transmitted to the cochlea of the inner ear and converted into electrical signals there, can function as a high-sensitivity microphone. I have to.A special electric fiber called a piezoelectric fiber is woven into this fabric.Piezoelectric fibers are woven into the yarn of the fabric and can convert audible frequency pressure waves into mechanical vibrations and then the mechanical vibrations into electrical signals.This process is similar to what happens in the cochlea.The amount of this specialized piezoelectric fiber required to increase the acoustic sensitivity of the fabric is small, and one fiber can produce a cloth microphone of several tens of square meters.This cloth microphone can detect weak acoustic signals such as human voice.This fabric is machine washable and drapeable, making it ideal for wearable applications.
In this study, shirts made from this fabric demonstrated three major applications.First, we were able to detect the direction in which the applause was heard.Second, it facilitated two-way communication between two people wearing this fabric.Third, the fabric was applied to the skin to monitor the heart. Fink et al. Have found that this newly designed fabric can be used for security (eg, detecting the direction of firing), assisting hearing aid users in sound localization, real-time long-term monitoring of patients with heart and respiratory illnesses, and more. I expect it to be applicable to the situation.
[Original English »]
"Highlights of Nature Magazines" is a translation of a release made by Nature's public relations department for the press.If you need more accurate and detailed information, be sure to read the original paper.
* This article is reprinted from "Nature Japan Featured Highlights".
Reprinted from: "Technology: Fabric to hear the sound'
