Copper “headphones” boost the sensitivity of NIST’s atomic radio receiver, which is composed of a gas of cesium atoms prepared in a special state inside the glass container. When an antenna located above the setup sends down a radio signal, the headphones boost the strength of the received signal a hundredfold.  Credit: NIST

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have boosted the sensitivity of their atomic radio receiver a hundredfold by enclosing the small glass cylinder of cesium atoms inside what looks like custom copper “headphones.” 

Custom 'Headphones' Boost Atomic Radio Reception 100-Fold

Han Dirkx is passionate about mental well-being and the desire to create a stress-free society for everyone. He firmly believes inner peace creates outer peace: when you feel well mentally, not only do you benefit, but so do the people – and the world – around you.

Fe+male Tech Heroes role models 26 Han Dirkx: "I'm not afraid of doing new things. That's how I've become an entrepreneur"

The object that is to be made invisible acoustically is placed at the centre of the experiment. The initial acoustic field is produced by the loudspeakers in the outer ring. The 228 control sensors in the central ring record this field and transmit the data to a computer. Subsequently, 36 control sources in the centre emit a secondary signal that augments the initial field in real-​time. (Photograph: ETH Zurich / Astrid Robertsson)

ETH researchers have devised an ingenious method of using acoustics to conceal and simulate objects.

Acoustic illusions

Most components in consumer electronics are silicon-based. The last component that is still manufactured traditionally is the loudspeaker — until now.  Loudspeakers using USound MEMS technology offer a multitude of inherent advantages, compared to traditional ED or BA speakers.

Inherent characteristics of USound MEMS speakers

Talking about target curves

How earphones should sound

CurveBoards are 3D breadboards — which are commonly used to prototype circuits — that can be designed by custom software, 3D printed, and directly integrated into the surface of physical objects, such as smart watches, bracelets, helmets, headphones, and even flexible electronics. CurveBoards can give designers an additional prototyping technique to better evaluate how circuits will look and feel on physical products that users interact with.  Image: Dishita Turakhia and Junyi Zhu

In place of flat “breadboards,” 3D-printed CurveBoards enable easier testing of circuit design on electronics products.

Integrating electronics onto physical prototypes