Industrial design and acoustic devices

Industrial design

The research deals with the project of sound qualities in industrial design, assuming the sound as one of the project requirements. Since the ability to control a soundscape allows people to prevent it from annoying sounds, this research project investigates the acoustical behaviour of materials. This goal is achieved providing designers, architects, researchers and industries with SounBe®, an innovative patented method and device for acoustic sensorial analysis of materials through normalized solicitations of standardized samples. The tool allows pointing out the sound generating variables (material, shape and gesture), providing meta-projectual advices, and sharing a common vocabulary related to sound perception. The main goal of the on-going research path is to verify the effectiveness and improve SounBe® tool. Workspace has been chosen as the first testing ground, but several other application fields can benefit of this sound design approach.

Acoustic devices

Speech and Noise Stop Light (S&N-S Light) is a patented smart device and method of sound measure and signal developed to control chatting in densely occupied indoor and outdoor environments (classrooms, canteens, gyms, offices, waiting rooms, cafeterias, restaurants, outdoor dining and drinking areas, etc.). Yellow or red lights are activated when the noise level is too high. The device is not sensible to accidental noises or “useful” signals.

Voice Care is a device for voice monitoring recently developed at DENERG in cooperation with the Department of Electronics and Telecommunication. It is made up of a contact microphone that is placed at the jugular notch for the detection of the vocal folds vibration and of a data-logger. It is non-intrusive, therefore it is suitable for long-term acquisitions in field during normal activities and for short-term monitoring for diagnostic and rehabilitation purposes.

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