The Sound Bending Project

Sound with a power so immense, holds the potential to provide an immersive experience for the user in many different forms, such as noise, melodies, voices or even a song. Although, it is a tricky genre unlike light and temperature, and is highly complex to predict and control the user behavior in terms of sound. The acoustical systems are usually designed to tackle certain parameters that affect the acoustics of a space in a limited manner. These systems become obsolete if the functionality or usage of space changes. In stadiums, it is important to keep the sound pressure levels in check while at the same time maintaining a vibrant acoustical environment for enhanced user experience. This multi-dimensional approach creates a need for a smart responsive surface that provides a right blend of reflection and absorption of sound. Thus, there is a need for an adaptable acoustic ecosystem that can respond to the sonic environment and improve the acoustic performance in a space.

Research Question | What is the design and operational feasibility of sound responsive surfaces? Can they have a noticeable impact on the acoustic performance in a space?

Outcome | The objective is to enhance the user experience by developing a sound responsive skin triggered with real time sound and study its impact on the acoustic performance in an open space. A physical working prototype is realised that is physically tested for proof of concept and responsive alertness to real time sound data. A psuedo-code is scripted to measure the acoustic behaviour of the changing geometry. This gives a possibility to optimize the surface configurations to attain the desired acoustic preferences in a space. A simple compuatational tool for swift calculations of the basic acoustic properties is developed with the intention of integrating acoustic parameters as a part of initial design stage. A dynamic surface with custom designed blocks (ACUTE blocks) has the possibility to impact certain acoustic properties with manual control.

Future | The concept can be applied in any kind of space with minimum design tweaking. A sound monitoring device can be put in place to hover over manual and automated control to enhance the acoustic character of a space. The compuatational tool will help in anticipating acoustic behaviour in early design stages and thus guide the design development.

Motorized & controlled movement of ACUTE block

ACUTE blocks concept visualization (lecture hall)

Name Graduation year Tutors