Masterclass with Professor Marc Holderied

The Sustainable Sound Futures CDT Masterclass series has been arranged by the CDT students, to hear from leading acoustics researchers from academia and industry, learn from their expertise and ask questions. The masterclasses are online, free and open to everyone; please register for each masterclass via the link below.

Reverse engineering a natural sound absorber metamaterial

Providing healthy living and working environments in our ever-noisier world necessitates increasing use of noise control technology. Acoustic metamaterials can act as ultrathin subwavelength noise control methods, allowing sound insulation to be thinner and lighter than ever before.

Professor Holderied will present his team’s discovery of a natural acoustic metamaterial and show their ongoing work towards bioinspired metamaterial absorbers. Their bioinspiration arises from the 65-million-year acoustic arms race between echolocating bats and their moth prey, which has turned the wing scales of moths into an omnidirectional, ultrathin (1/100 λ) and broadband absorber of ultrasound that provides acoustic camouflage against bats. Their 2026 university spinout, Attacus Acoustics, develops bioinspired novel broadband sound absorbers and barriers that are substantially thinner and lighter than available solutions – using clues from nature to inform the design of the next wave of advanced noise control.

Professor Marc Holderied (University of Bristol)

As a sensory ecologist and bioacoustician with strong links to bio-inspired engineering, Professor Holderied’s research expertise is in the emerging fields of acoustic camouflage and biosonar navigation with a continued passion for acoustic arms races and wildlife acoustics.

Please book your ticket at the eventbrite website link below.