From Insect Wings to Miniature Loudspeakers - A Bionic Modelling Approach

ended

Crickets and bush-crickets use their wings to produce a wide range of often impressively loud courtship songs highly variable in pitch and temporal patterns. The wings of these insects have evolved to be miniaturised and optimised resonators in order to radiate their highly amplified acoustic signals and therefore offer unique solutions for efficient, light-weight acoustic transducers. Here, I propose a novel combination of state-of-the-art bioacoustic and imaging techniques (among others, laser Doppler vibrometry and micro-computational tomography), comparative morphology and two independent but complementary mathematical modelling approaches (agent-based as well as finite element modelling) to investigate the biomechanic and bioacoustic system properties of cricket and bush-cricket wings. By applying these multidisciplinary techniques and methods to a variety of wings, I will derive mechano-acoustic system properties that will allow unravelling of the relationship between wing morphology and emerging resonance properties underlying sound production. The resulting knowledge, combined with modern modelling and simulation techniques and in silico artificial wing evolution towards desirable acoustic properties, will guide engineers in the acoustic design of innovative, biomimetic miniature loudspeakers as used in, e.g., hearing aids. Furthermore, the project results and the proposed scientific and transferable skills training will positively impact on my career development, contributing the building blocks of my future career as an independent, interdisciplinary researcher and future group leader, successfully combining bioacoustics and its evolution with bioinspired innovations for modern acoustic technologies.