{"id":20261,"date":"2025-03-17T22:32:07","date_gmt":"2025-03-17T22:32:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/?p=20261"},"modified":"2025-03-17T22:32:09","modified_gmt":"2025-03-17T22:32:09","slug":"audible-enclaves-to-allow-for-private-listening-without-headphones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/audible-enclaves-to-allow-for-private-listening-without-headphones\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Audible Enclaves\u2019 to Allow for Private Listening Without Headphones"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-blockquote uagb-block-e7eb3fc3 uagb-blockquote__skin-border uagb-blockquote__stack-img-none\"><blockquote class=\"uagb-blockquote\"><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__content\">Penn State researchers have created &#8216;audible enclaves&#8217; using ultrasonic beams, enabling listeners to hear sound privately without disturbing others. This innovative technology has the potential to transform personal audio experiences in various environments.<\/div><footer><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__author-wrap uagb-blockquote__author-at-left\"><\/div><\/footer><\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0dfbf163 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-size:16px;\" class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-post-author\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-author__name\">The University Network<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share uagb-social-share__outer-wrap uagb-social-share__layout-horizontal uagb-block-ee584a31\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-ec619ce7\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"facebook\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M504 256C504 119 393 8 256 8S8 119 8 256c0 123.8 90.69 226.4 209.3 245V327.7h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.28c-30.8 0-40.41 19.12-40.41 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V501C413.3 482.4 504 379.8 504 256z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-32d99934\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"twitter\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M389.2 48h70.6L305.6 224.2 487 464H345L233.7 318.6 106.5 464H35.8L200.7 275.5 26.8 48H172.4L272.9 180.9 389.2 48zM364.4 421.8h39.1L151.1 88h-42L364.4 421.8z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-1d136f14\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"linkedin\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Imagine listening to your favorite podcast or music without headphones and without bothering those around you. This vision is closer to reality, thanks to a breakthrough by a team of researchers at Penn State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yun Jing, a professor of acoustics in the Penn State College of Engineering and the corresponding author of the study, and his team, have pioneered a new audio technology that creates &#8220;audible enclaves&#8221; \u2014 localized pockets of sound where only the intended listener can hear the audio. This innovative approach could revolutionize how we experience private listening in public or shared spaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a study <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pnas.org\/doi\/abs\/10.1073\/pnas.2408975122\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">published<\/a> in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers detail how they used two nonlinear ultrasonic beams to generate these audible enclaves. By directing these beams to intersect at a specific point, sound becomes audible only at that intersection, creating a unique privacy barrier for the listener.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;We use two ultrasound transducers paired with an acoustic metasurface, which emit self-bending beams that intersect at a certain point,&#8221; Jing said in a news release. &#8220;The person standing at that point can hear sound, while anyone standing nearby would not. This creates a privacy barrier between people for private listening.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The technology leverages advanced acoustic metasurfaces \u2014 3D-printed acoustic lenses with intricate microstructures that bend sound waves. These metasurfaces, developed by co-author Xiaoxing Xia, a staff scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, enable the beams to follow a crescent-shaped path until they intersect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:17px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-image aligncenter uagb-block-3f2e9f4a wp-block-uagb-image--layout-default wp-block-uagb-image--effect-static wp-block-uagb-image--align-center\"><figure class=\"wp-block-uagb-image__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Audible-Enclave.jpg ,https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Audible-Enclave.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Audible-Enclave.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 150px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Audible-Enclave.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"uag-image-20287\" width=\"700\" height=\"525\" title=\"Audible Enclave\" loading=\"lazy\" role=\"img\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>Caption:<\/em> By positioning metasurfaces in front of two ultrasonic transducers, dual ultrasonic waves travel at two slightly different frequencies along a crescent-shaped trajectory until they intersect, forming an audible enclave where sound cab be heard. At other points along the trajectory, sound is not heard \u2014 meaning private listening is possible.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>Credit:<\/em> Provided by Heyonu Heo\/Penn State<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:8px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>To verify their system, the team used a dummy with microphones in its ears, replicating human auditory perception along the ultrasonic beam path. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;We confirmed that sound was not audible except at the point of intersection, which creates what we call an enclave,&#8221; added Jia-Xin \u201cJay\u201d Zhong, a postdoctoral scholar in acoustics at Penn State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Remarkably, the researchers demonstrated that their system works in common environments with typical sound reverberation, such as classrooms, vehicles or outdoor spaces. This versatility hints at wide-ranging applications, from quiet zones in open offices to recreational use in public areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;We essentially created a virtual headset,&#8221; Zhong added. &#8220;Someone within an audible enclave can hear something meant only for them\u2014enabling sound and quiet zones.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Currently, the system can transmit sound to a point about a meter away at a volume similar to conversational speech (around 60 decibels). The team believes they can enhance both range and volume by adjusting ultrasound intensity, broadening the technology\u2019s potential use cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This pioneering project received support from the U.S. National Science Foundation and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory\u2019s Lab Directed Research and Development Program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:16px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.psu.edu\/news\/engineering\/story\/audible-enclaves-could-enable-private-listening-without-headphones\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Penn State University<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Imagine listening to your favorite podcast or music without headphones and without bothering those around you. This vision is closer to reality, thanks to a breakthrough by a team of researchers at Penn State. Yun Jing, a professor of acoustics in the Penn State College of Engineering and the corresponding author of the study, and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-no-separators","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[140],"class_list":["post-20261","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-tech","tag-penn-state-university"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"The University Network","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Imagine listening to your favorite podcast or music without headphones and without bothering those around you. This vision is closer to reality, thanks to a breakthrough by a team of researchers at Penn State. Yun Jing, a professor of acoustics in the Penn State College of Engineering and the corresponding author of the study, and&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20261","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20261"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20261\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20290,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20261\/revisions\/20290"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20261"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20261"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20261"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}