# Design of a low-cost microphone array for portable multi-platform applications

## TL;DR

This paper presents a low-cost, portable microphone array that can be used for acoustic imaging and sound localization across multiple platforms.

## Contribution

The novel contribution is a modular, USB 2.0 compliant microphone array with 3D-printed components for flexible and portable acoustic imaging.

## Key findings

- The device can record 16-channel audio at 48 kHz and 32 bits for detailed acoustic analysis.
- It supports optional integration with a depth camera to generate colored point clouds for visualizing sound sources.
- Measurements in an anechoic chamber enabled holographic reconstruction of noise source parameters.

## Abstract

Acoustic imaging analysis of noise sources is a widespread method to obtain source spatial positioning and parameters like sound pressure. The challenge is to record audio from multiple microphones simultaneously and optionally capture color images from a camera for final overlapped sound localization display. We propose a multiple hardware component interconnection device, with necessary and optional parts available from different retailers and minimal printed circuit board designs. The setup is based on a 3D-printed base that can be modified to achieve different portable microphone array configurations. The final product is USB 2.0 compliant and can be connected to multiple computers and operating system, as well as various development boards. The simple script provided allows recording 16-channel files at 48 kHz and 32 bits, alongside optional colored point clouds from a depth camera. Measurements taken in an anechoic chamber and post-processing with inverse methods result in holographic reconstruction of noise sources surface parameters and a sound power approximation.

•The microphone array is a USB 2.0 audio device for Linux, Windows, and macOS.•Provided design files can be modified to study new array configurations.•With optional components the device is a low-cost portable acoustic camera.

The microphone array is a USB 2.0 audio device for Linux, Windows, and macOS.

Provided design files can be modified to study new array configurations.

With optional components the device is a low-cost portable acoustic camera.