New Material: MIT Researchers Use Piezoelectric Fiber To Develop Active Noise Reduction Fabrics

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a multi-mode fabric that can efficiently filter sound. Through further adjustment and sound business strategy, this technology will enable active noise reduction technology to go beyond the existing single category category of earphones.

This project was published in Advanced Materials Materials) is based on earlier research to create a silk fabric that can act as a microphone and amplify sound. During the study, the research team realized that their material could also be used to filter sound. They put the latter idea into practice.

This special fabric made of piezoelectric fiber is almost no thicker than hair. When a voltage is applied, this material will vibrate. If properly adjusted, it can counteract the incoming sound like a noise reducing earphone.

This method is very useful in small spaces, but does not work indoors. To meet this challenge, they need a different approach. Researchers found that by using voltage to make the fabric completely static, it can become a sound barrier, reflecting the sound back to the source like a mirror.

In the test, the direct suppression mode (similar to the noise reduction earphone) can reduce the volume by 65 dB. In "still" mode, sound transmission is reduced by 75%.

Although the prospect is broad, there is still much work to be done before considering commercial promotion. The team needs to conduct more tests to understand the impact of changes in the number of fibers, suture direction, power supply voltage and other variables on the performance.

Grace Yang, the first author, said that this was just the beginning. To make this technology truly effective, "we still have many knobs to turn".

They also need to find the best way to bring it to market. Co author of the study, Professor Yoel of MIT Fink) said that this material is still too new, and he did not even know where its market was.