MIT News April 26, 2022
Ultra-thin, lightweight, high-performance, low-cost, and energy-efficient loudspeakers that can be deployed over a wide area have become increasingly attractive to both traditional audio systems and emerging applications such as active noise control and immersive entertainment. Researchers at MIT have proposed a thin-film loudspeaker based on an active piezoelectric layer embossed with an array of microscale domes. Actuation of the freestanding domes contributes to excellent sound generation by the loudspeaker regardless of the rigid surface on which it is bonded. The acoustic performance is further tunable by designing the dome dimensions. The proposed loudspeaker also exhibits high bandwidth, which extends its prospects into the ultrasonic range. The loudspeaker weighs only 2 g, is 120 m thick and can be manufactured at low cost. According to the researchers these advantages make the proposed loudspeaker a promising candidate for ubiquitous applications in existing and emerging industrial and commercial scenarios…read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE
MIT researchers have developed an ultrathin loudspeaker that can turn any rigid surface into a high-quality, active audio source. Credit: Felice Frankel