Airborne ultrasonic ranging is used in a variety of different engineering applications for which other positional metrology techniques cannot be used, for example in closed-cell locations, when optical line of sight is limited, and when multipath effects preclude electromagnetic-based wireless systems. Although subject to fundamental physical limitations, e.g., because of the temperature dependence of acoustic velocity in air, these acoustic techniques often provide a cost-effective solution for applications in mobile robotics, structural inspection, and biomedical imaging. In this article, the different techniques and limitations of a range of airborne ultrasonic ranging approaches are reviewed, with an emphasis on the accuracy and repeatability of the measurements. Simple time-domain approaches are compared with their frequency-domain equivalents, and the use of hybrid models and biologically inspired approaches are discussed.

Sound plays an important role in the life history of mosquitoes. Male mosquitoes detect females by the sound generated by their wingbeat. Because female wings are weak acoustic radiators, males have been driven by sexual selection to evolve sensitive acoustic sensors. Mosquito antennae are very sensitive acoustic receivers, featuring up to 16,000 sensory cells, a number comparable with that contained in the human cochlea. The antennal sound receiver exhibits frequency selectivity, input amplification, and self-generated oscillations, features that parallel the functional sophistication of the cochlear amplifier. Although arguably the male antenna is well suited to receiving weak female sounds, the role of active mechanisms in mosquito hearing is far from understood. Previous mechanical studies on mosquito hearing largely focused on the steady-state antennal response to harmonic sounds, mostly evaluating the data through conventional Fourier transforms. Here, we report on the time-resolved mechanical behavior of the male antenna in response to female sounds. Crucially, stimuli were designed to reflect the temporal acoustic profile of a female flying by. With these stimuli, several previously unreported nonlinear features were unveiled, involving amplification, compression, and hysteresis. The time-resolved analysis reveals that, through the active participation of the sensory neurons, the antenna mechanically responds to enlarge its own range of detection. This behavior augments the capacity of the antennal receiver to detect female sounds, enhancing the male's chance to successfully pursue a passing female.

This article reports the discovery of a new genus and three species of predaceous katydid (Insecta: Orthoptera) from Colombia and Ecuador in which males produce the highest frequency ultrasonic calling songs so far recorded from an arthropod. Male katydids sing by rubbing their wings together to attract distant females. Their song frequencies usually range from audio (5 kHz) to low ultrasonic (30 kHz). However, males of Supersonus spp. call females at 115 kHz, 125 kHz, and 150 kHz. Exceeding the human hearing range (50 Hz–20 kHz) by an order of magnitude, these insects also emit their ultrasound at unusually elevated sound pressure levels (SPL). In all three species these calls exceed 110 dB SPL rms re 20 µPa (at 15 cm). Males of Supersonus spp. have unusually reduced forewings (<0.5 mm²). Only the right wing radiates appreciable sound, the left bears the file and does not show a particular resonance. In contrast to most katydids, males of Supersonus spp. position and move their wings during sound production so that the concave aspect of the right wing, underlain by the insect dorsum, forms a contained cavity with sharp resonance. The observed high SPL at extreme carrier frequencies can be explained by wing anatomy, a resonant cavity with a membrane, and cuticle deformation.

Acoustic metamaterials are large-scale materials with small-scale structures. These structures allow for unusual interaction with propagating sound and endow the large-scale material with exceptional acoustic properties not found in normal materials. However, their multi-scale nature means that the manufacture of these materials is not trivial, often requiring micron-scale resolution over centimetre length scales. In this review, we bring together a variety of acoustic metamaterial designs and separately discuss ways to create them using the latest trends in additive manufacturing. We highlight the advantages and disadvantages of different techniques that act as barriers towards the development of realisable acoustic metamaterials for practical audio and ultrasonic applications and speculate on potential future developments.