Acoustic Wave Guiding by Reconfigurable Tessellated Arrays

Guided sound waves from arrays of acoustic transducers are key to myriad techniques in medicine, engineering, and the physical sciences, but digital methods of wave-field control are restrictive. This study investigates physical reconfiguration of array elements according to the folding sequences of origami, which allows portability. Reconfiguring a tessellated array is more effective than digital methods of acoustic-wave guidance, using fewer array elements, while refinement of array topology tends to the ideal case of geometrical acoustics. These findings may promote adaptive, deployable waveguides for $e.g.$ medical ultrasound or the study of underwater ecosystems.