Irish physicists Rhona Togher and Eimear O'Carroll have been selected as finalists for the European Inventor Award (EPI) 2023 thanks to their material solution to attenuate loud noise.
In 2023, the European Environment Agency (EEA) estimates that 22 million people across Europe currently suffer from chronic high annoyance, whilst 6.5 million suffer chronic high sleep disturbance.
To address this issue, Irish inventors Rhona Togher and Eimear O'Carroll created an advanced acoustic material that reduces noise and can be used with household appliances, as well as in the automotive, construction, and aerospace industries.
Put simply, SoundBounce™ has a cellular structure that works in tandem with a thixotropic gel placed inside the cells that allow sound to be dampened, reducing noise transmission from one space to another.
According to the inventors, this material is particularly effective at low frequencies, which presents a significant challenge connected to products with engines, vibrations, and airflow. The thinner material means that aeroplanes or vehicles using it could be lighter, thus reducing fuel consumption and leaving more space.
In addition to the environmental advantages related to noise reduction, the materials used to make SoundBounce have a low environmental impact as they are non-toxic, and recyclable at end of life.
Togher and O’Carroll are finalists in the SMEs category of the European Inventor Award 2023, in recognition of their promising work. They were selected from over 600 candidates for this year’s edition.
