Sound Vibrations Can Encode, Process Data Like Quantum Computers

Remarkable ...

Sound Vibrations Can Encode, Process Data Like Quantum Computers

By New Scientist, May 25, 2023

University of Arizona researchers demonstrated that trapping sound in a simple mechanical device can imitate certain properties of quantum computers.

The researchers built an object that could act like a qubit by gluing together three aluminium rods over half a meter long each, then generated vibrations at one end and detected them at the other.

They observed that information could be input in the "phi-bits" (localized "chunks" of sound produced in the rods) by tuning the sound, and that the phi-bits could be forced into a superposition (a mixture of their individual states).

The researchers used the system to perform simple computations, as well as producing quantum-like states.

From New Scientist

View Full Article -    May Require Paid Subscription

Creating 3D Objects with Sound

Creating 3D objects with sound

Creating 3D objects with sound:    From  MaxPlanck

FEBRUARY 09, 2023

Scientists from the Micro, Nano and Molecular Systems Lab at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research and the Institute for Molecular Systems Engineering and Advanced Materials at Heidelberg University have created a new technology to assemble matter in 3D. Their concept uses multiple acoustic holograms to generate pressure fields with which solid particles, gel beads and even biological cells can be printed. These results pave the way for novel 3D cell culture techniques with applications in biomedical engineering. The results of the study were published in the journal Science Advances on February 08.

The use of sound waves to create a pressure field to print particles.

Kai Melde, MPI for Medical Research, Heidelberg University

Additive manufacturing or 3D printing enables the fabrication of complex parts from functional or biological materials. Conventional 3D printing can be a slow process, where objects are constructed one line or one layer at a time. Researchers in Heidelberg and Tübingen now demonstrate how to form a 3D object from smaller building blocks in just a single step.

“We were able to assemble microparticles into a three-dimensional object within a single shot using shaped ultrasound”, says Kai Melde, postdoc in the group and first author of the study. “This can be very useful for bioprinting. The cells used there are particularly sensitive to the environment during the process”, adds Peer Fischer, Professor at Heidelberg University.

Sound waves exert forces on matter – a fact that is known to any concert goer who experiences the pressure waves from a loudspeaker. Using high-frequency ultrasound, which is inaudible to the human ear, the wavelengths can be pushed below a millimeter into the microscopic realm, which is used by the researcher to manipulate very small building blocks, like biological cells.

In their previous studies Peer Fischer and colleagues showed how to form ultrasound using acoustic holograms – 3D-printed plates, which are made to encode a specific sound field. Those sound fields, they demonstrated, can be used to assemble materials into two-dimensional patterns. Based on this the scientists devised a fabrication concept.  ... '

https://www.mr.mpg.de/14580718/3dprintingwithsound

Computational Method Can Improve Explosion Detection

More sensor applications. 

 Computational Method Can Improve Explosion Detection

University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute

Rod Boyce, July 22, 2022

The University of Alaska Fairbanks' Alex Witsil and colleagues have developed a method to better detect explosions by training computers on artificial explosion signals. Witsil explained, "We used modeling software to generate 28,000 synthetic infrasound signals, which, though generated in a computer, could hypothetically be recorded by infrasound microphones deployed hundreds of kilometers from a large explosion." The signals reflect atmospheric variances, which can change an explosion's signal regionally or globally as sound waves spread, complicating the ability to detect a remote blast's origin and type. The machine learning technique uses hundreds of single-element infrasound microphones already deployed worldwide, enabling them to detect more nuanced signals in real time.  ....' 

Graphene Speaks

 Material, syntheses in new contexts.

When Graphene Speaks, Scientists Can Now Listen

Rice University News, Mike Williams, January 19, 2022

Brothers John and Victor Li, working in the laboratory of Rice University's James Tour, analyzed laser-induced graphene (LIG) production in real time using sound. LIG produces layers of interconnected graphene sheets by heating the topmost polymer sheet to 2,500 degrees Celsius (4,532 degrees Fahrenheit), leaving only carbon atoms. John Li said different processes generate different sounds, "So if we hear variations during the synthesis, we'd be able to detect different materials being formed." The brothers formulated a simple acoustic signal processing framework to ascertain LIG's form and quality, which John said "allows us to efficiently scale the throughput of our analytical capabilities to the entire amount of material we're trying to synthesize in a robust manner." Tour said the brothers converted the sound pattern to numerical data via a Fast Fourier transform, which could analyze product type and purity near-instantaneously.  ... '

Battery Free Ocean Exploration?

Towards automation and empowering sensors in varying environments.  Piezoelectronics always an interest too.

An Underwater Navigation System Powered by Sound,  MIT News, Daniel Ackerman

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers built a battery-free underwater navigation system that reflects modulated signals from its environment in order to provide positioning information without expending energy. Underwater Backscatter Localization (UBL) employs piezoelectric sensors that produce their own electricity in response to mechanical stress, and use that power to selectively reflect soundwaves. A receiver translates the backscatter sequence into a pattern of 1s and 0s that conveys information about ocean temperature or salinity. To overcome the problem of myriad surface and seabed reflections complicating localization, the observation unit transmits a signal sequence across a range of frequencies, each at a different wavelength; the reflected sound waves return to the unit in different phases, with combined timing and phase data pinpointing distances to the tracking device. MIT’s Fadel Adib said, “We’re hoping to understand the ocean at scale. It’s a long-term vision, but that’s what we’re working toward and what we’re excited about.”

Using Sound to Classify

Have always promoted the idea of using sound sensors, and sound delivery to activate contextual spaces. Here Carnegie Mellon explores this, calibrating it for sounds. We were more interested in how human behavior could change, their perception was influenced. Here its about robotics and particularly about classification.

Sounds of Action: Using Ears, Not Just Eyes, Improves Robot Perception
Carnegie Mellon University
Byron Spice
August 14, 2020

Carnegie Mellon University researchers have conducted the first large-scale study of interactions between sound and robotic action to determine if sounds could help robots distinguish between objects and identify specific sound-causing actions. The team compiled a dataset from simultaneous video and audio recordings of 60 common objects as they slid or rolled around a tray attached to a robot arm and crashed into its sides, cataloging 15,000 interactions in all. The researchers also collected data by having the robot arm push objects along a surface. They learned, for example, that a robot could use knowledge gleaned from the sound of one set of objects to predict the physical properties of previously unseen objects. Robots that used sound were able to successfully classify objects 76% of the time.

Music Helping us Understand Viruses

Much more about the idea at the link.     There have been many explorations of using sound to 'visualize' data, though in my own experience I have never used the idea.   In some cases has been used as a demonstration of what data sounds like.  An example of a 'hand free' and 'eyes free' alert or interaction.   But useful?

MIT researchers use AI to turn the coronavirus into a haunting melody

The music offers unique insights into how the virus works

An AI system that turns the coronavirus‘ structure into music could help scientists spot details about COVID-19 that a microscope would miss.

The AI-generated tune is an audible representation of the coronavirus’ “spike” proteins, which spread the infection by poking out of the virus and binding to human cells. These spikes make the surface of the virus look like a crown — or “corona” in Latin.

The spikes are formed of protein building blocks called amino acids. Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) turned these structures into sounds by giving each amino acid a unique note in a musical scale.  .... "

Teaching Automobiles to Hear

Makes sense to add another sense to the car.

Teaching Tomorrow's Automobiles to Hear
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
Christian Colmer  in ACM

Researchers at Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology (IDMT) have developed a system that allows self-driving cars to recognize external noises such as sirens. The team trained the system to recognize the acoustic signature of specific sound events, using machine learning methods that rely on acoustic libraries. In addition, the researchers created beamforming algorithms that enable the system to dynamically locate moving sound sources. The researchers also developed artificial intelligence-based algorithms to distinguish specific noises the system is designed to identify from other noise. Said IDMT's Danilo Hollosi, “Such systems would be able to immediately recognize the siren of an approaching emergency vehicle, for example, so that the autonomous vehicle would then know to move over to one side of the highway and form an access lane for the rescue services." .... '

Bosch SoundSee Sensor Predicts Future

Another example of the linking of sensors to predictive decision making.

Bosch SoundSee combines deep learning with mobile microphone arrays to identify problems on the ISS before they happen in IEEE Spectrum By Evan Ackerman

We’ve all seen this moment in the movies—on board, say, a submarine or a spaceship, the chief engineer will suddenly cock their ear to listen to the background hum and say “something’s wrong.” Bosch is hoping to teach a computer how to do that trick in real life, and is going all the way to the International Space Station to test its technology.

Considering the amount of data that’s communicated through non-speech sound, humans do a remarkably poor job of leveraging sound information. We’re very good at reacting to sounds (especially new or loud sounds) over relatively short timescales, but beyond that, our brains are great at just classifying most ongoing sounds as “background” and ignoring them. Computers, which have the patience we generally lack, seem like they’d be much better at this, but the focus of most developers has been on discrete sound events (like smart home devices detecting smoke alarms or breaking glass) rather than longer term sound patterns.

Why should those of us who aren’t movie characters care about how patterns of sound change over time? The simple reason is because our everyday lives are full of machines that both make a lot of noise and tend to break expensively from time to time. Right now, I’m listening to my washing machine, which makes some weird noises. I don’t have a very good idea of whether those weird noises are normal weird noises, and more to the point, I have an even worse idea whether it was making the same weird noises the last time I ran it. Knowing whether a machine is making weirder noises than it used to be, could potentially clue me in to an emerging problem, one that I could solve through cheap preventative maintenance rather than an expensive repair later on.

Bosch, the German company that almost certainly makes a significant percentage of the parts in your car as well as appliances, power tools, industrial systems, and a whole bunch of other stuff, is trying to figure out how they can use deep learning to identify and track the noises that machines make over time. The idea is to be able to identify subtle changes in sound to warn of pending problems before they happen. And one group of people very interesting in getting advanced warning of problems are the astronauts floating around in the orbiting bubble of life that is the ISS. .... "

Seeing Where Sounds are Coming From

We worked on sound location detection to support product placement and marketing.  Also syncing audio and video experience.

MIT PixelPlayer “Sees” Where Sounds Are Coming From
Synced

The “cocktail party effect” describes humans’ ability to hold a conversation in a noisy environment by listening to what their conversation partner is saying while filtering out other chatter, music, ambient noises, etc. We do it naturally but the problem has been widely studied in machine learning, where the development of environmental sound recognition and source separation techniques that can tune into a single sound and filter out all others is a research focus.

MIT CSAIL researchers recently introduced their PixelPlayer system, which has learned to identify objects that produce sound in videos. The system uses deep learning and was trained by binge-watching 60 hours of musical performances to identify the natural synchronization of visual and audio information.

The team trained deep neural networks to concentrate on images and audio and identify pixel-level image locations for sound sources in the videos.    ... "  

Knock it with a SmartPhone to Identify

Here a system built in South Korea that lets you knock on an object with a smartphone, and it identifies it using sound and motion sensors.   We worked on problems that predicted maintenance needs of machinery, using sounds and vibrations, might this be useful for such an application as well?  Another way to gather data that might be useful otherwise.     Add visual inspection information for machinery diagnosis?

Object Identification, Interaction with a Smartphone Knock
KAIST - South Korea

Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in South Korea have developed technology for identifying objects and carrying out actions, simply by knocking on objects with a smartphone. The Knocker solution combines the sound and motion sensors in smartphones with software that executes directions according to sounds and vibrations. These capabilities are maintained even in low-light settings, without the use of cameras or other specialized hardware. Knocker harnesses the smartphone's built-in sensors, and machine learning identifies objects the device is knocked on by analyzing the responses generated when a smartphone is knocked against an object. Knocker was able to identify 23 everyday objects in noisy environments with 83% accuracy, and with 98% accuracy in quiet indoor environments.  ... " 

Sound Localization and Projection

Not an entirely new idea, we worked with a group out of MIT in the 90s which was creating focused sound environments.     You could, for example create a localized sound in a store aisle that supported an advertising message,  or a sound environment that supported a product there in some way.  Worked quite well,  you could not tell where the sound was originating.   Was tested in our labs and never in a real environment, as it was seen as privacy invasive.    The below seems to take this further.  I like the personalized warning suggestion:  'You are approaching the cliff's edge!',   and AR type integration.

World's First Sound Projector Targets Willing Individuals 
The Engineer (UK)
August 5, 2019

Gianluca Memoli and colleagues at Sussex University in the U.K. demonstrated a sound projector they devised at the ACM SIGGRAPH conference. The projector uses face-tracking software to direct an acoustic telescope that focuses sound on moving targets. The system is affixed to a low-cost camera that can track an individual, and is capable of transmitting a 6cm sphere of sound in front of its target, which then can move along with the target. Said Memoli, "We believe this technology can be harnessed for plenty of positive applications, including personalized alarm messages in a crowd, immersive experiences without headphones, the audio equivalent of special effects."

The Sound of Your Brand

Former colleague Lou Killeffer continues to talk about the sound of your brand, essential in these days of in-home personalized  assistants.  Continuing to follow.  Thanks Lou.

Yes, it matters what your brand sounds like

By Lou Killeffer,  FiveMileRiver Marketing   ... "

Voice and Sound Identity

As we introduce voice interaction, we are also introducing sound as brand equity.   This used to be common on TV and radio, will this work now?  Or is the jingle or intro chime passe?  And now as part of a conversation, is the sonic identity opening a new channel?

Will Mastercard’s sonic identity connect with consumers on a new level?  by Bob Phibbs in Retailwire

Through a special arrangement, presented here for discussion is a summary of a current article from the Retail Doctor’s blog.

Last weekend, I found myself in Fred Segal’s on the Sunset Strip to take part in the launch of Mastercard’s own sonic brand identity, which the credit card giant describes as “the sound equivalent of our iconic red and yellow circles.”

Developed for over 18 months in collaboration with agencies, artists and musicians, including Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park, the sound will become a way for consumers to connect with Mastercard in the future, whether online, in a store when using their card or, more importantly, when using voice search.

That’s because voice shopping will hit $40 billion by 2022, according to OC&C Strategy Consultants’ data cited by Mastercard.

“Audio makes people feel things, and that’s what makes it such a powerful medium for brands,” said Matt Lieber, president, Gimlet, the podcasting studio that helped develop Mastercard’s new sound, in a statement. “With the explosion of podcasts, music streaming, and smart speakers, an audio strategy is no longer a ‘nice-to-have’ for brands — it’s a necessity.”  .... '

Laser Created Audio by MIT

Cures for deafness, secret communications?  The future for audiophiles?  A kind of whisper into your ear.

deliver secret messages directly to your ears   By Luke Dormehl —  in Digitaltrend

What’s the best way to communicate with a person when they’re outside of normal speaking distance? Call them on their phone, obviously. But what if the person either doesn’t have a phone with them — or you’re just looking for a high-tech communication method that’s a little more James Bond in its nature? Researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology have you covered with a new invention that makes it possible to literally beam an audible message to a specific person across the room using a laser. Because, you know, science.

“We have demonstrated that an eye-safe laser will heat the water molecules in the air, via the well-known photoacoustic effect, to create a local sound,” Ryan Sullenberger, a researcher who worked on the project, told Digital Trends. “We have also leveraged the special behaviors that occur at the speed of sound to help us amplify and localize the sound. If we rotate our laser beam, we can localize the sound not only along the laser path, but also isolate a specific range — the one at which the beam is moving at the speed of sound — at which the signal is amplified to an audible level.” ... "

Maintenance via Sound Analysis

Not a new thing,  but useful as it could be used to augment human capabilities.  This had been suggested previously using neural, machine learning methods.

Sound Software for Fault Detection in Machinery 
 in CORDIS

A European Union-funded research project has developed software based on the human auditory system that can analyze sound to determine if industrial machinery requires maintenance. The Horizon2020 neuronSW team integrated advanced algorithms, machine learning, and big data analysis to mimic the human auditory cortex and enable early detection and prediction of breakdowns. Said SME NeuronSW Ltd.'s Jiri Cermak, "The technology leverages machine learning, the cloud, and the Internet of Things to deliver a detection service which emulates human intuition about sound." The neuronSW solution lets manufacturers perform intelligent audio diagnostics and monitor key pieces of machinery by the sounds they generate. Cermak said, "The integrated hardware and software platform automatically gather the sound of machines in real time and continuously assesses the equipment's health."  ... ' 

Advertising in the Age of Alexa

A former colleague writes. More at the link.

Advertising in the Age of Alexa or: How to Stop Worrying and Build Your Brand  By Lou Killeffer

Very glad to be returning as an Adjunct Professor in the School of Media and Journalism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

When the "Advertising Campaigns" course I taught last year (Chobani & Chapel Hill) became unavailable, Carolina asked me to create a new course of my own, and last week the Curriculum Committee approved it: MEJO 490.5 "Advertising in the Age of Alexa or: How to Stop Worrying and Build Your Brand". 

My aim is an exploration of established advertising and brand theory and their evolving best practices in response to decades of continuous digital disruption. Through selected readings, engaging discussion, student research, and live interface with some of today’s most enlightened, real-world practitioners, we'll investigate  .... "

Research on Sound in Shopping

We researched the idea of how sound changed shopping behavior,  in laboratory and real store environments.  Ambient background music can create mood.  Focused multidimensional sound can influence interest in specific areas of a shelf.  Sound can be mixed with visual cues to change attention.   More on this topic can be found here at the 'Sound' and "Senses" tags.  Note how this is a means of augmented reality.    Here is more recent research with expert comments at the link.

What’s the ideal soundtrack for grocery shopping?    by Tom Ryan in Retailwire.

A new study from the University of South Florida finds that loud music in a restaurant or grocery store leads to more unhealthy food choices, while quieter music leads to heathier ones.

Ambient music can influence healthy or unhealthy food buying, according to the researchers, because it directly impacts heart rate and arousal. Softer music has a calming effect, making people more mindful of what people order in a restaurant. Louder environments increase stimulation and stress, leading to less-mindful choices.

Beyond restaurants, the research offers insights into how grocers can influence in-store buying behavior.  ..... " 

Interesting Sounds Podcast

Discovered a podcast called 'Twenty Thousand Hertz',  which is an examination of 'the most interesting stories of the most interesting sounds'  by Dallas Taylor.  There I learned about sound fatigue and sound scape design in casinos. We experimented broadly with this idea designing soundscapes in retail stores.  I had worked with some experimenters in college on sound immersion.  Could have used this podcast.  It is available here and on Alexa and Google Home.  Sound is another sense we don't pay enough attention to in the way it can influence and even prescribe behavior.

Sound Classification

Sounds are important.  Getting them right can make the difference between correct and incorrect advice.  Those of you experimenting with advisors have now seen this.

Sound Classification with TensorFlow

Having this solution along with an IoT platform allows you to build a smart solution over a very wide area.

Introduction
There are many different projects and services for human speech recognition like Pocketsphinx, Google’s Speech API, and many others. Such applications and services recognize speech to text with pretty good quality, but none of them can determine different sounds captured by the microphone. What was on record: human speech, animal sounds, or music playing?

We were faced with this task and decided to investigate and build sample projects which will be able to classify different sounds using machine learning algorithms. This article describes which tools we have chosen, what challenges we have faced, how we have trained the model for TensorFlow, and how to run our open source project. Also we can supply the recognition results to the DeviceHive, IoT platform, to use them in cloud services for 3rd party application.  .... "