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In creating what looks to be a simple children’s musical instrument—a xylophone with keys in the shape of zoo animals—computer scientists have demonstrated that sound can be controlled by 3-D-printing shapes. They designed an optimization algorithm and used computational methods and digital fabrication to control acoustic properties—both sound and vibration—by altering the shape of 2-D and 3-D objects.
This discovery could lead to a wealth of possibilities that go beyond musical instruments. According to the research team, this algorithm could lead to ways to build less noisy computer fans, bridges that don’t amplify vibrations under stress, and advance the construction of micro-electro-mechanical resonators whose vibration modes are of great importance.Image credit: Changxi Zheng/Columbia Engineering
