Sound absorbing panel is usually made of materials like mineral wool, open cell foam et cetera. Sometimes the panel has a jagged surface too. Whatever materials or surfaces it has, the panel is always opaque. But not this sound-absorbing panel called iwasemi HX-α from Japanese tech company Pixie Dust Technologies (PxDT), though.
iwasemi HX-α is a clear sound absorbing panel that can be attached to, say, glass walls of meeting rooms to reduce sound getting in and out of the room while retaining a certain level of transparency of the rooms. It is created by combining PxDT’s acoustic metamaterial technology with office furniture maker Itoki’s design technology.
PxDT said that the panel has a sound absorbing structure for the frequency band of between 500 and 1,000 Hz, which should have most of the human voice frequency range covered. Not only that but iwasemi HX-α also has the aesthetic department covered too, offering 6 colors to suit any decor.
Each panel is presented in a hexagon form measuring 201 x 182 x 40 mm (7.9 x 7.2 x 1.6 inches) and weighs 225g (7.9 oz.). It can be attached to the glass with adhesive or magnet, or a combination of both.
iwasemi HX-α Sound Absorbing Panel has already seen real-world applications. It has been installed in the conference room of a Japanese real estate company, Tokyo Tatemono Co., Ltd. The real estate company claimed that the panels have reduced reverberation time in its glass-walled conference room by about 40%, thereby making conversation inside the room easier.
iwasemi HX-α is now available for commercial application in Japan, with a price on request. Meanwhile, if you read Japanese, you may learn more about this intriguing development at the PxDT website.
Images: Pixie Dust Technologies [JP].