A recent article from the Cornell Chronicle reports that researchers at Cornell have developed algorithms that simulate the sounds that water and other fluids make. This is particularly useful in conjunction with graphical simulations of such liquids, such as in computer animations (games, CGI movies, etc.).

From the article:

In computer-animated movies, sound can be added after the fact from recordings or by Foley artists. But as virtual worlds grow increasingly interactive and immersive, the researchers point out, sounds will need to be generated automatically to fit events that can’t be predicted in advance. Recordings can be cued in, but can be repetitive and not always well matched to what’s happening.

“We have no way to efficiently compute the sounds of water splashing, paper crumpling, hands clapping, wind in trees or a wine glass dropped onto the floor,” the researchers said in their research proposal.

Along with fluid sounds, the research also will simulate sounds made by objects in contact, like a bin of Legos; the noisy vibrations of thin shells, like trash cans or cymbals; and the sounds of brittle fracture, like breaking glass and the clattering of the resulting debris.

Faucet Simulation

The article explains that the calculations for the simulations are based on physics – how particles in a model would vibrate and thus emit sound waves if the model existed in real life. Specifically for water, the sounds that we hear when water is poured into a container come from tiny bubbles in the water that are repeatedly contracted and expanded. This is essentially a vibratory motion, and these vibrations create the sounds that we hear from water.

What does this mean for our everyday lives? It has the potential to greatly enhance the quality and increase the scope of computer-animated movies, software, and simulations, to name a few things.

By the way, foley artistry is pretty cool!

(Image from the Cornell Chronicle.)

Categories: In the News
Tags: Cornell Chronicle, Simulation, Sound
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