Sound absorbers in nature? 87 percent of the noise energy can be cut by moth wings
Bats first learned to use echolocation about 65 million years ago. They do this by making high-frequency clicks with their mouth or nose and listening for the echoes that come back from objects.
Since then, bats and moths have been in a "acoustic arms race" between predator and prey. Now, bats are a big threat to moths, so they have developed many ways to protect themselves. However, the moth's main weapon—its wing—could be the key to improving noise-canceling technology.
Researchers recently found that moth wings do block echolocation calls from bats. They are now trying to figure out if their structure could be used to make sound-absorbing panels that work better when they are not moving.
Now, in a study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society A, scientists at the Universi...