Piecewise assembled acoustic arrays based on reconfigurable tessellated structures

Area of Science:

• Acoustic Engineering
• Metamaterials
• Robotics

Background:

• Origami-inspired tessellated acoustic arrays can adaptively guide acoustic energy.
• Previous designs using uniform folding patterns had limited shape-changing capabilities, restricting acoustic field tailoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore enhanced acoustic field tailoring by assembling piecewise geometries from multiple origami folding patterns.
• To develop an analytical model for predicting acoustic wave radiation from reconfigurable array facets.
• To investigate the impact of folding and modularity on acoustic energy transmission.

Main Methods:

• Formulated an analytical model for assembled piecewise geometries and acoustic wave radiation.
• Conducted parametric investigations using the theoretical model.
• Fabricated a proof-of-concept specimen for experimental validation.

Main Results:

• The proposed piecewise acoustic arrays can emulate acoustic wave radiation from complex ideal sources.
• Shape adaptations achieved through origami folding enable straightforward wave guiding.
• Experimental validation confirmed the efficacy of the piecewise acoustic array concept.

Conclusions:

• Assembling tessellated acoustic arrays from diverse folding patterns significantly expands acoustic energy manipulation capabilities.
• The reconfigurable nature of these arrays provides adaptable wave guiding for various applications.
• This approach offers a promising pathway for advanced acoustic control and manipulation.