Scientists Draw Inspiration From Shark Skin For Novel New Smart Material

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: So-called "acoustic metamaterials" are specifically designed to control and manipulate sound waves, usually for the purpose of dampening or transmitting sound. But such an acoustic device can only perform the function for which it was created, such as dampening outgoing sound in a submarine, for example. That same device could not be repurposed to communicate with another passing vessel should the situation aboard the submarine require it; a different acoustic device must be used, one developed expressly for that purpose. Now a team of scientists from the University of Southern California have developed an acoustic metamaterial that can switch between different uses by applying carefully tailored magnetic fields, according to a new paper in the journal Research. The structure of these new metamaterials was inspired by the unusual structure of shark skin. They can be used to mimic the function of switches, logic gates, or diodes, raising the possibility of a sound "computer."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

from Slashdot https://ift.tt/33jb41G

Share on FacebookPlus on Google+

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER