A bio-inspired sound source localization sensor with internal coupling

Abstract

The mechanism of using internal coupling to enhance directional hearing has been found in various animals across multiple length scales, including crickets, lizards, frogs, birds, and alligators. For each eardrum, the acoustic stimuli impinge not only on the front side but also on the opposing side via the connecting cavity. The combination of these two stimuli renders a much higher directional sensitivity than the case with two uncoupled independent receivers. Inspired by this mechanism found in Nature, here we present a bio-inspired sound source localization sensor which consists of two pre-tensioned membranes on a three-dimensional printed housing. The vibration of the two membranes is detected by a low coherence fiber optic interferometric system. The experimental results from this prototype will be demonstrated to validate the feasibility of developing miniature bio-inspired devices for sound source localization.