A device to transmit an audio signal to a user comprises a transducer and a support. The support is configured for placement on the eardrum to drive the eardrum. The transducer is coupled to the support at a first location to decrease occlusion and a second location to drive the eardrum. The transducer may comprise one or more of an electromagnetic balanced armature transducer, a piezoelectric transducer, a magnetostrictive transducer, a photostrictive transducer, or a coil and magnet. The device may find use with open canal hearing aids.

A device to transmit an audio signal to a user comprises a transducer and a support. The support is configured for placement on the eardrum to drive the eardrum. The transducer is coupled to the support at a first location to decrease occlusion and a second location to drive the eardrum. The transducer may comprise one or more of an electromagnetic balanced armature transducer, a piezoelectric transducer, a magnetostrictive transducer, a photostrictive transducer, or a coil and magnet. The device may find use with open canal hearing aids.

A system includes at least one earpiece wherein each earpiece comprises an earpiece housing, a light source operatively connected to each earpiece housing and configured to transmit substantially coherent light toward an outer surface of a user's body, a light receiver operatively connected to the earpiece housing proximate to the light source and configured to receive reflected light from the outer surface of the user's body, and one or more processors disposed within the earpiece housing and operatively connected to the light source and light receiver, wherein one or more processors is configured to determine bone vibration measurements from the reflected light. A method of determining bone vibrations includes providing at least one earpiece, transmitting substantially coherent light toward an outer surface of a user's body using the earpiece, receiving reflected light from the outer surface of the user's body using the earpiece, and determining bone vibration measurements using the earpiece.

An acoustic vector sensor and a method of detecting an acoustic vector are described. An object suspended in the fluid medium by a non-contact support structure. The object and the non-contact support structure are configured so that the object moves in response to any disturbance of the fluid by an acoustic wave; The non-contact support structure of the object comprises a plurality of solenoids that each produce a magnetic field in a fluid medium. A measurement measures movement of the object. A processing device determines an acoustic intensity vector of the acoustic wave based on the measured movement of the object.

In a computer-implemented method and system for capturing the condition of a structure, the structure is scanned with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Data collected by the UAV corresponding to points on a surface of a structure is received and a 3D point cloud is generated for the structure, where the 3D point cloud is generated based at least in part on the received UAV data. A 3D model of the surface of the structure is reconstructed using the 3D point cloud.

A device includes an electromagnetic radiation delivery system such as a laser of light emitting diode infrared emitter configured for delivery of electromagnetic radiation within a sealed canal such as an ear canal, a fiber optic cable configured for delivering or capturing the electromagnetic radiation within the sealed canal, and a photo detector coupled to the fiber optic cable forming a portion of a voice communication system. Other embodiments are disclosed.

An optical network element includes a connection to an optical fiber in an optical line system including a coherent receiver; a microphone configured to detect sound; and circuitry connected to the microphone and configured to cause transmission of information related to sounds detected by the microphone to a receiver at an end of the optical line system, wherein the transmission is over the optical fiber in the optical line system to the coherent receiver. The optical network element can include a polarization controlling device connected to the circuitry and configured to modulate a state-of-polarization (SOP) envelope for the transmission.

An optical microphone assembly including a substrate, an interferometric arrangement, a light source, and at least one photo detector. The interferometric arrangement includes a membrane and at least one diffractive optical element spaced from the membrane. The diffractive optical element(s) include a plurality of lines formed in or disposed on a surface of the substrate and arranged in a first pattern. The substrate includes one or more holes extending fully therethrough, the hole(s) arranged in a second pattern that is different from the first pattern. The light source is arranged to provide light to the interferometric arrangement such that first and second portions of the light propagate along respective, different first and second optical paths via the interferometric arrangement. An optical path difference between the first and second optical paths depends on a distance between the membrane and the diffractive optical element(s). The hole(s) are positioned such that at least one of the first and second optical paths at least partly overlaps with the hole(s). The photo detector(s) are arranged to detect at least part of an interference pattern generated by said first and second portions of light dependent on the optical path difference.

An optical microphone with a dual light source is provided. The optical microphone includes: a housing including an inner cavity and a sound inlet communicating the inner cavity with the outside; a MEMS module disposed in the inner cavity and including a flexible membrane and two gratings; two photoelectric modules, one being disposed in a front cavity and the other in a rear cavity, and each of the photoelectric modules including a light source and a light detector; and an ASIC module disposed in the rear cavity and electrically connected to the photoelectric modules. The optical microphone provides differential measurement, such that the output signal change on one of the two sides of the flexible membrane is positive and the output signal change on another side of the flexible membrane is negative. Therefore, a differential measurement structure is formed to improve the performance of the microphone.

An acoustic sensor that uses an optical fiber and has a high directivity is provided. An acoustic sensor includes a sensing part and an interrogator. The sensing part has a sensing element composed of an optical fiber. The interrogator is connected to the sensing part, sends a pulse light P to the sensing part, and detects an acoustic wave sensed by the sensing part based on a reflected return light from the sensing part. The sensing element is composed of the optical fiber folded in such a way that it reciprocates a plurality of number of times along a directivity direction in which directional sensitivity is exhibited.