Programmable Metamaterial Acoustic Lens SonicLens Released: Millimeter-Precision Directional Sound Transmission
ETH Zurich releases SonicLens programmable metamaterial acoustic lens, capable of precisely transmitting sound to a target listener's ear within 10 meters while remaining completely inaudible to surrounding people
Programmable Metamaterial Acoustic Lens SonicLens Released: Millimeter-Precision Directional Sound Transmission
ETH Zurich released the SonicLens programmable metamaterial acoustic lens on November 6. This palm-sized device uses a metamaterial array to focus sound waves to millimeter-scale precision, enabling directional sound transmission within a 10-meter range — only the target listener can hear the sound, while surrounding people perceive nothing.
SonicLens contains 256 independently controlled micro-acoustic transducers, each with phase and amplitude adjusted by AI in real time. The system tracks the target listener's ear position via camera, updating beam direction at a frequency of 1,000 times per second.
Potential applications include: museum audio guides without speakers, office communication without disturbance, and personalized audio enhancement for the hearing impaired. The device prototype is priced at approximately $3,000, with a consumer version expected to hit the market in 2031.
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