Sound-transparent anisotropic media for backscattering-immune wave manipulation

The scattering behavior of the anisotropic acoustic medium is analyzed to reveal the possibility of routing acoustic signals through the anisotropic layers with no backscattering loss. The sound-transparent effect of such medium is achieved by independently modulating the anisotropic effective acoustic parameters in a specific order, and experimentally observed in a bending waveguide by arranging the subwavelength structures in the bending part according to transformation acoustics. With the properly designed filling structures, the original distorted acoustic field in the bending waveguide is restored as if the wave travels along a straight path. The transmitted acoustic signal is maintained nearly the same as the incident modulated Gaussian pulse. The proposed schemes and the supporting results could be instructive for further acoustic manipulations such as wave steering, cloaking and beam splitting.

CycleGuard

Every year 41,000 cyclists die in road traffic-related incidents worldwide [47]. One of the most startling and infuriating conflicts that cyclists experience is the so-called "right hook". It refers to a vehicle striking a cyclist heading in the same direction by turning right into the cyclist. To prevent such a crash, this work presents CycleGuard, an acoustic-based collision detection system using smartphones. It is composed of a cheap commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) portable speaker that emits imperceptible high-frequency acoustic signals and a smartphone for reflected signal reception and analysis. Since received acoustic signals bear rich information of their reflecting objects, CycleGuard applies advanced acoustic ranging techniques to extract those information for traffic analysis. Cyclists are alerted if any pending right hook crashes are detected. Real-time alerts ensure that cyclists have sufficient time to react, apply brakes, and eventually avoid the hazard. To validate the efficacy of CycleGuard, we implement a proof-of-concept prototype and carry out extensive in-field experiments under a broad spectrum of settings. Results show that CycleGuard achieves up to 95% accuracy in preventing right hook crashes and is robust to various scenarios. It is also energy-friendly to run on battery-powered smartphones.

Divergence-Based Segmentation Algorithm for Heavy-Tailed Acoustic Signals with Time-Varying Characteristics

Many real-world systems change their parameters during the operation. Thus, before the analysis of the data, there is a need to divide the raw signal into parts that can be considered as homogeneous segments. In this paper, we propose a segmentation procedure that can be applied for the signal with time-varying characteristics. Moreover, we assume that the examined signal exhibits impulsive behavior, thus it corresponds to the so-called heavy-tailed class of distributions. Due to the specific behavior of the data, classical algorithms known from the literature cannot be used directly in the segmentation procedure. In the considered case, the transition between parts corresponding to homogeneous segments is smooth and non-linear. This causes that the segmentation algorithm is more complex than in the classical case. We propose to apply the divergence measures that are based on the distance between the probability density functions for the two examined distributions. The novel segmentation algorithm is applied to real acoustic signals acquired during coffee grinding. Justification of the methodology has been performed experimentally and using Monte-Carlo simulations for data from the model with heavy-tailed distribution (here the stable distribution) with time-varying parameters. Although the methodology is demonstrated for a specific case, it can be extended to any process with time-changing characteristics.

Tabular algorithm for evaluating the discrete cross-correlation function of the flowmeter acoustic signals

Корреляционная обработка сигналов как частный случай использования цифровой обработки данных, получаемых с акустических датчиков, находит широкое применение в современных ультразвуковых расходомерах жидкости и газа. К ним можно отнести как непосредственно корреляционные меточные расходомеры, так и расходомеры преимущественно время-импульсного или время-пролетного типов, где корреляционная обработка акустических сигналов является дополнением к общему методу измерения объемного расхода жидкости и газа. Применение корреляционной обработки позволяет повысить разрешающую способность расходомера в целом и обеспечить выделение полезного сигнала на фоне присутствия шумов с высокой степенью достоверности. В статье описан способ вычисления дискретных корреляционных функций на основе обобщенного определения дискретной корреляционной функции через свертку дискретизированных сигналов с выходов датчиков потока. Суть данного метода сводится к вычислению набора значений кумулятивных произведений отсчетов зондирующих сигналов, взятых с разным шагом в зависимости от общего количества отсчетов сигналов и предполагаемого числа значений корреляционной функции. Полученный набор значений оформляется в виде двумерного массива или матрицы, однако для большего понимания его можно представить как таблицу. Результаты суммы отдельных элементов этой таблицы или матрицы, выбранных согласно установленному правилу, и будут являться конечными значениями взаимной корреляционной функции акустических сигналов. В рамках работы составлены непосредственно алгоритм вычисления дискретной корреляционной функции в соответствии с рассмотренным методом расчета корреляционной функции, приведены примеры вычисления программным способом взаимной и автокорреляционной функций акустических сигналов, приближенных по своим свойствам к сигналам реальных ультразвуковых расходомеров. Предложенный вариант расчета дискретных корреляционных функций может быть применен в энергоэффективных вычислительных модулях расходомеров, предназначенных для длительной эксплуатации от источника автономного питания, обладающих низкой производительностью. Correlation signal processing as a particular case of using a digital data processing obtained from acoustic sensors is widely used in modern ultrasonic liquid and gas flowmeters. These include both direct correlation flowmeters and predominantly a time-pulse or time-of-flight type’s flowmeters, where the correlation processing of acoustic signals is an addition to the general method for measuring the volumetric flow rate of liquid and gas. The use of correlation processing makes it possible to increase the resolution of the flowmeter as a whole and to ensure the useful signal extraction against the background of the noise presence with a high degree of reliability. The article describes a method for calculating discrete correlation functions based on the generalized definition of a discrete correlation function through the convolution of sampled signals from the flow sensors outputs. The essence of this method comes down to calculating a values set ​​of the cumulative products of the probing signal’s samples taken with different steps depending on the total number of signal samples and the assumed number of the correlation function samples. The resulting values sequence ​​is formatted as a two-dimensional array or matrix, but for better understanding it can be represented as a table. The results of the sum of the individual elements of this table or matrix, selected according to the established rule, will be the final values ​​of the cross-correlation function of acoustic signals. Within the framework, an algorithm for calculating the discrete correlation function is directly compiled in accordance with the considered method for calculating the correlation function, examples of software calculation of the cross- and autocorrelation functions of acoustic signals, which are close in their properties to the real signals of ultrasonic flowmeters, are given. The proposed option for calculating discrete correlation functions can be applied in energy-efficient computational modules of flowmeters designed for long-term operation from an autonomous power source with low performance.

Reflected Wave Reduction Based on Time-Delay Separation for the Plane Array of Multilayer Acoustic Absorbers

This paper presents a control technique for reducing the reflection of acoustic signals for the plane array of multilayer acoustic absorbers underwater. In order to achieve this, a plane array of multilayer acoustic absorbers is proposed to attenuate low-frequency noise, with each unit consisting of a piezoelectric transducer, two layers of polyvinylidene fluorides and three layers of the acoustic window. Time-delay separation is used to find the incident and reflected acoustic signals to achieve reflected sound reduction. Experimental comparison of the attenuation rate of the reflected acoustic signal when performing passive and active controls is considered to verify the effectiveness of the time-delay separation technique applied plane array absorbers. Experiments on the plane array of smart skin absorbers confirmed that the reduction of reflected acoustic signals makes it suitable for a wide range of underwater applications.

Review of the genus Taurotettix Haupt, 1929 (Homoptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae: Cicadulini): morphology, acoustic signals, and geographical variability

The leafhopper genus Taurotettix includes two subgenera, Taurotettix (Taurotettix) and Taurotettix (Callistrophia), and three species, T. (T.) beckeri (Fieber, 1885), T. (C.) modesta (Mityaev, 1971), and T. (C.) elegans (Melichar, 1900). T. (C.) elegans is subdivided into two subspecies, T. (C.) elegans elegans and T. (C.) elegans subornata (Mityaev, 1971) stat. nov. Illustrated descriptions and data on biology and distribution for all taxa are given. Oscillograms of male calling signals of T. (T.) beckeri, T. (C.) modesta, and T. (C.) elegans elegans are provided. A hypothesis about speciation in Taurotettix (Callistrophia) is presented.

Tolerant pattern recognition: evidence from phonotactic responses in the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus (de Geer)

When the amplitude modulation of species-specific acoustic signals is distorted in the transmission channel, signals become difficult to recognize by the receiver. Tolerant auditory pattern recognition systems, which after having perceived the correct species-specific signal transiently broaden their acceptance of signals, would be advantageous for animals as an adaptation to the constraints of the environment. Using a well-studied cricket species, Gryllus bimaculatus , we analysed tolerance in auditory steering responses to ‘ Odd ’ chirps, mimicking a signal distorted by the transmission channel, and control ‘ Silent ’ chirps by employing a fine-scale open-loop trackball system. Odd chirps on their own did not elicit a phonotactic response. However, when inserted into a calling song pattern with attractive Normal chirps, the females' phonotactic response toward these patterns was significantly larger than to patterns with Silent chirps. Moreover, females actively steered toward Odd chirps when these were presented within a sequence of attractive chirps. Our results suggest that crickets employ a tolerant pattern recognition system that, once activated, transiently allows responses to distorted sound patterns, as long as sufficient natural chirps are present. As pattern recognition modulates how crickets process non-attractive acoustic signals, the finding is also relevant for the interpretation of two-choice behavioural experiments.

Piscivorous Bird Deterrent Device Based on a Direct Digital Synthesis of Acoustic Signals

This paper addresses the development of an acoustic deterrent device for the protection of fishponds and other objects against the unwanted presence of birds. The objective of the paper is not only providing of a deep analysis of available technologies for waveform synthesis and generation, but also building a theoretical base for the design and implementation of acoustic bird deterrent solutions. The paper addresses the synthesis of bird songs and calls using technologies for music, speech, and other types of acoustic signal processing. The second part of the paper is devoted to the unique algorithms and implementation details of the intelligent acoustic deterrence device prototype. The practical applicability of algorithms for bird call record conversion into synthesizer sequences has been analysed and possible issues are highlighted. The effectiveness and ease of practical implementation of the given method in the hardware are briefly discussed.

Correlation between acoustic divergence and phylogenetic distance in soniferous European gobiids (Gobiidae; Gobius lineage)

In fish, species identity can be encoded by sounds, which have been thoroughly investigated in European gobiids (Gobiidae, Gobius lineage). Recent evolutionary studies suggest that deterministic and/or stochastic forces could generate acoustic differences among related animal species, though this has not been investigated in any teleost group to date. In the present comparative study, we analysed the sounds from nine soniferous gobiids and quantitatively assessed their acoustic variability. Our interspecific acoustic study, incorporating for the first time the representative acoustic signals from the majority of soniferous gobiids, suggested that their sounds are truly species-specific (92% of sounds correctly classified into exact species) and each taxon possesses a unique set of spectro-temporal variables. In addition, we reconstructed phylogenetic relationships from a concatenated molecular dataset consisting of multiple molecular markers to track the evolution of acoustic signals in soniferous gobiids. The results of this study indicated that the genus Padogobius is polyphyletic, since P. nigricans was nested within the Ponto-Caspian clade, while the congeneric P. bonelli turned out to be a sister taxon to the remaining investigated soniferous species. Lastly, by extracting the acoustic and genetic distance matrices, sound variability and genetic distance were correlated for the first time to assess whether sound evolution follows a similar phylogenetic pattern. The positive correlation between the sound variability and genetic distance obtained here emphasizes that certain acoustic features from representative sounds could carry the phylogenetic signal in soniferous gobiids. Our study was the first attempt to evaluate the mutual relationship between acoustic variation and genetic divergence in any teleost fish.