3D printed acoustic mirrors on show at ETH Zurich

Our MAS dfab students teamed up with dbt and colleagues in NCCR QSIT to design and fabricate acoustic mirrors. The mirrors are currently in an experimental position in the foyer of the HPH building on the Hönggerberg campus of ETH Zurich and will be moved to a permanent location at a later date.

An acoustic mirror is a specially designed device that collects and focuses sound waves so that sounds, such as normal speaking, can be heard over distances that would normally require a microphone. The acoustic mirrors set up in the HPH building at ETH Hönggerberg are the result of a collaborative effort between researchers in architecture and physics. Computational design was used to create the form by working out the best shapes to use by simulating the acoustics created. By using 3D printed sandstone, researchers were able to reduce the weight and material of the final structure by 30%.

Find out more about the Acoustic Mirrors experiment.

Photo: ETH Zurich/D-PHYS Heidi Hostettler