As part of the "Building Physics" course with a focus on acoustics, students of the Smart Building Technologies degree program were given the opportunity to explore the AUDIOVERSUM in Innsbruck on March 15.
The excursion offered a unique opportunity to experience and deepen theoretical concepts of acoustics in a practical environment. The guided tour through the museum offered a structured insight into various aspects of acoustic perception and its physical foundations. Starting on the first floor, the scream chamber allowed students to develop a sensory feel for the unit of measurement "decibel" and experience the effects of different volumes on hearing.
Subsequently, various models of different objects such as bells, an aircraft turbine and much more were presented on the upper floor to illustrate the development of vibrations and their effects on acoustic perception. This gave the students an understanding of the diversity of acoustic phenomena in the real world.
A highlight of the tour was the 3D presentation of the human ear, accompanied by a sonorous explanation of the anatomical structures and processes underlying hearing. Potential dysfunctions of the auditory system were discussed to provide a comprehensive understanding of possible acoustic challenges.
The excursion was rounded off with an interactive demonstration of a model of hair cells in the ear. By being able to specifically block out certain sound frequencies and acoustically simulate various hearing impairments, the students were able to gain a deeper insight into the effects of noise exposure and hearing damage.
We would like to thank the AUDIOVERSUM team and our guide Robert for the informative and eventful tour, which enriched our understanding of acoustics and its importance in the field of building technology. The guided tour of the AUDIOVERSUM was definitely a symphony of knowledge and experience.
The degree program would like to thank the cohort representatives Andreas Griesbeck and Shpetim Gashi for their commitment in reporting on this excursion experience.
Visiting the AUDIOVERSUM: the students immersed themselves in the diverse acoustic worlds of experience and enjoyed the hands-on stations. Photo: © MCI/Öttl
During the tour, the students were able to test how the human hair cells in the ear work on oversized exhibits modeled on the human original: by touching the individual glass tubes, a melody can be heard - by bending the tubes, which represent the human hair cells, different frequency ranges can be activated or deactivated. These deactivations can be used to simulate the loss of hair cells and the associated individual hearing impairments. Photo: © Shpetim Gashi
Curious about how 90 decibels feel like? Via haptic feedback, the students were able to test the volume of a jackhammer using their senses. Photo: © Shpetim Gashi
The students playfully approached their own acoustic perception in the room: in a binaural game, the students measured their ability to locate the chirping played through headphones in a duel. Photo: © MCI/Öttl
The hands-on stations for the acoustic localization test led to some amusing manoeuvres. Photo: © MCI/Öttl
Insights into the human hearing process and sound transmission through e.g. headphones were illustrated to the students in larger-than-life exhibits. Photo: © MCI/Öttl
Optics & acoustics combined: The 3D presentation of the human ear was rounded off with sound information on the anatomical structures and processes underlying hearing. Photo: © MCI/Öttl
The students also got engaged with and enjoyed virtual reality simulations. Photo: © MCI/Öttl
