"Finding solutions for noise problems"
Fig 1: Ormia ochracea fly on cricket Fig 2: Ormia ochracea next to an
next to BTE hearing aid Ormia-inspired microphone chip array
The Microacoustic Sensors Laboratory (MSL) is home to a multi-disciplinary research group with specializations in design, modeling, fabrication, analysis, and testing. R.N. Miles, professor of mechanical engineering, heads the lab, which was established in 1999 with a $1.1M NIH grant to develop hearing aids based on the ears of the Ormia ochracea fly.
With colleagues Ron Hoy (Cornell) and Daniel Robert (University of Bristol), Dr. Miles discovered the novel hearing mechanism that gives the Ormia fly the remarkable ability to localize sound sources within 1-2 degrees of accuracy. The result is a revolutionary, high-performance directional microphone that minimizes the influence of unwanted sounds. For the hearing impaired, this device will markedly improve their ability to understand speech in noisy environments: their number one complaint.