Methods and systems for smart acoustic multimodal interfaces

A system for capturing directional sound using structural vibration sensing elements, the system comprising:

• one or more structural vibration sensing elements, wherein a structural vibration sensing element is affixed to an elastic base surface;
• a network connected to the structural vibration sensing element for capturing directional sound by:
• detecting vibrations in the elastic base surface that are sensed by the structural vibration sensing element, wherein said vibrations are caused by acoustic pressure waves impacting upon said elastic base surface;
• measuring a vibration signal from the vibrations in said base surface in response to the acoustic pressure waves that are impacting upon said elastic base surface;
• inferring from the vibration signal in said elastic base surface the incident angle of the acoustic pressure waves at the point of impact on said elastic base surface, wherein inferences of the incident angle of the acoustic pressure waves are drawn based on vibration features extracted from the vibration signal that provide information on the relative modal excitations of the elastic base surface by the vibrations.

A method for capturing touch location on the surface of an elastic object using structural vibration sensing elements, the method comprising the steps of:

• affixing one or more structural vibration sensing elements to an elastic base surface;
• detecting vibrations in the base surface that are sensed by the structural vibration sensing element, wherein said vibrations are caused by a touch impacting upon said base surface;
• measuring a vibration signal caused by said touch impacting upon said base surface;
• inferring from the vibration signal the position of the touch at the point of impact on the base surface, wherein inferences of the position of the touch are drawn based on vibration measurements extracted from the vibration signal that provide information on the relative modal excitations of the base surface by the vibrations.