A method and system of detecting sound by acoustic beamforming with structural sensors wherein an array of sound sensors placed on an elastic base surface can pick up vibrations caused by incoming acoustic waves and acoustic beamforming enables highly sensitive directional listening. In some embodiments, only a single sensor is used affixed to an elastic base surface and the remaining sound reception may be constructed using virtual sensors that are created by extrapolation from the sound received by the single sensor.

Systems for determining the direction of acoustic waves are described herein. In one example, a system for determining the direction of an acoustic wave includes first and second resonator chambers fluidly connected via a channel. The first and second resonator chambers have a speaker configured to output sound based on signals produced from external transducers when detecting the acoustic wave that is acoustically separated from the first and second resonator chambers. The direction of the acoustic wave can be determined based on a comparison of the first acoustic amplitude sensed in the first resonator chamber and the second acoustic amplitude sensed in the second resonator chamber when the speakers output sound.

Systems for determining the direction of acoustic waves are described herein. In one example, a system for determining the direction of an acoustic wave includes first and second resonator chambers fluidly connected via a channel. The first and second resonator chambers have a speaker configured to output sound based on signals produced from external transducers when detecting the acoustic wave that is acoustically separated from the first and second resonator chambers. The direction of the acoustic wave can be determined based on a comparison of the first acoustic amplitude sensed in the first resonator chamber and the second acoustic amplitude sensed in the second resonator chamber when the speakers output sound.

A handheld acoustic imaging tool and method of imaging acoustic signals includes receiving acoustic signals from a scene, identifying a subset of the acoustic signals based on a predetermined condition of an acoustic parameter of the acoustic signals, and generating a display image using electromagnetic image data representative of electromagnetic radiation from the scene. The display image visually indicates a location in the scene corresponding to the subset of the acoustic signals. Generating the display image may further include using acoustic image data representative of the subset of the acoustic signals, wherein the electromagnetic image data and the acoustic image data are shown together in the display image. In some cases, the acoustic image data in the display image may be palettized according to the acoustic parameter, for example according to an amount, an amount of change, or a rate of change, of the acoustic parameter.

A handheld acoustic imaging tool and method of imaging acoustic signals includes receiving acoustic signals from a scene, identifying a subset of the acoustic signals based on a predetermined condition of an acoustic parameter of the acoustic signals, and generating a display image using electromagnetic image data representative of electromagnetic radiation from the scene. The display image visually indicates a location in the scene corresponding to the subset of the acoustic signals. Generating the display image may further include using acoustic image data representative of the subset of the acoustic signals, wherein the electromagnetic image data and the acoustic image data are shown together in the display image. In some cases, the acoustic image data in the display image may be palettized according to the acoustic parameter, for example according to an amount, an amount of change, or a rate of change, of the acoustic parameter.