(AllHipHop News) Researchers at Purdue University have developed a new miniature medical sensor that uses the bass of Hip-Hop music to power and recharge itself.
The researchers at Birck Nanotechnology Center at the Discovery Park in West Lafayette created the device that is known as a microelectromechanical system (MEMS).
A study found that acoustic waves for music, especially rap, effectively recharge the device’s pressure sensor.
The professors used a number of genres of music to test the sensor, including Jazz, Blues, and Rock.
“Rap is best because it contains a lot of low frequency sound, notably the bass,” said Babak Ziaie, a Purdue University professor of electrical/computer engineering and biomedical engineering.
The acoustic waves from music or plain tones drive a vibrating device called a cantilever, which sends a charge to power the sensor.
Ziaie, who has applied for a patent for the new technology, further explained how the device actually works.
“Music within a certain range of frequencies, from 200-500 hertz, causes the cantilever to vibrate, generating electricity and storing a charge in a capacitor,” Ziaie explained.
“The music reaches the correct frequency only at certain times, for example, when there is a strong bass component,” he said. “The acoustic energy from the music can pass through body tissue, causing the cantilever to vibrate.”
Perdue hopes the device might help to treat people stricken with aneurisms or incontinence due to paralysis.
The researchers are positioning the new technology to replace existing sensors, which typically rely on batteries or inductance through coils, to send their electrical charge.
The findings are being detailed in a paper that is being presented during the IEEE MEMS conference that is taking place until February 2.
