Biology-inspired acoustic sensors for sound source localization

Abstract

In this article, the design of a biology-inspired miniature directional microphone is presented. This microphone consists of two clamped circular diaphragms, which are mechanically coupled by a connecting bridge that is pivoted at its center. A theoretical model is constructed to determine the microphone response to sound incident from an arbitrary direction. Both the simulation and preliminary experimental results show that the proposed microphone provides a remarkable amplification of the time delay associated with the sound induced diaphragm responses. This study should be relevant to various sound source localization applications.