A fiber optic microphone, developed by researchers at Middle East Technical University (METU), guarantees to revolutionize emergency response capabilities. The machine, able to delicate listening and fast notification to related support organizations, has been in improvement at METU’s ULTRAMEMS Research Laboratory for 3 years.
Professor Barış Bayram, a lecturer in METU’s Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department, spoke to Anadolu Agency (AA) in regards to the challenge’s significance.
“We have achieved something new with this work,” Bayram mentioned. “We continue to work to ensure that this success creates commercial value.”
Bayram highlighted the help obtained from the METU Technology Transfer Office and the granting of Turkish, European and U.S. patents inside 4 years and eight months of the challenge’s inception. Financial help from the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK) was additionally instrumental within the challenge’s improvement.
The microphone’s purposes prolong past emergency response. Bayram envisions its use in safety purposes for big buildings, resorts and complete techniques.
“These are very small, undetectable systems,” Bayram famous. “When an elderly person in need of care or assistance says ‘help,’ the microphone will be able to detect this and immediately notify the necessary organization accordingly.”
In addition to emergency response, the microphone’s design allows it to gather sound and different data from all sides when put in inside buildings. “They can also carry sound waves, especially when there is a need in situations such as earthquakes,” Bayram defined. “These are very sensitive systems and can be modified to detect small vibrations for earthquakes.”
Bayram additionally mentioned the microphone’s potential purposes in biomedical fields, notably in imaging and breaking kidney stones. While the challenge has achieved success, Bayram emphasised that commercialization is the subsequent step.
“Since the technologies we have developed are still at the research level in the world, there may be a limited number of people who want to use them in Türkiye,” he mentioned. “We need to expand to the U.S. and Europe.”
With a registered product and an lively laboratory, the METU group is well-positioned to additional develop the know-how in keeping with demand. The challenge’s journey towards commercialization is simply starting, however its potential affect on emergency response and different fields is already producing vital curiosity.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
