Pixie Dust Technologies Co, Inc. (Head Office : Chiyoda-ku ; Representative Directors : Yoichi Ochiai and Taiichiro Murakami ; hereinafter "PxDT"), which promotes digital innovation for auditory sense, developed an innovative sound insulation material using acoustic metamaterial technology in order to solve social issues of noise problem.
This sound insulation material, which has both high sound insulation performance and breathability, can be used in various fields such as air conditioning, building materials, furniture and fixtures, railways, construction work, and automobiles. It is also a sound insulation material with "breathability" and has a high degree of freedom in material selection and processing, so it is a sound insulation material that can incorporate a sustainable perspective.
The exhibition will be held at the international trade show "Orgatec Tokyo 2023" from Wednesday, April 26th to Friday, April 28th.

Development Background

Since the Industrial Revolution, there has been an increase in the number of machines that continuously generate large sounds, and the diversification of life with the development of capitalism. Today, we are suffering from various types of noise, including noise from air-conditioning equipment, noise from construction work, noise from transportation infrastructure, and noise from economic activities and home life.
Since 2021, PxDT has been selling "iwasemi ," an acoustic metamaterial sound-absorbing material developed to solve such problems. During this period, PxDT has heard many opinions from customers who have problems balancing "sound insulation" and "ventilation."
There are a wide range of cases where both "sound insulation" and "ventilation" are required. For example, there are cases where it is necessary to have an opening for ventilation or exhaust heat from machinery that causes sound leakage, and there are cases where it is impossible to install a sound-insulating wall for wind pressure even when trying to block vehicle noise.
Based on the mission of "becoming an incubator that continuously creates things with social significance and meaning", PxDT has developed an acoustic metamaterial sound insulation material with the aim of achieving both "sound insulation performance" and "breathability."

Key Features

Since sound is propagated by the vibration of the air, if there is a gap through which the air passes, sound leaks through the gap and surrounding noise becomes a problem. The sound insulation material developed by PxDT uses a metamaterial with a structure that scatters sound in opposite phases. It can generate sound waves in opposite phases to the incident sound waves and cancel out noise. Therefore, it can achieve both sound insulation performance and breathability, which were difficult to achieve with conventional technology.

The PxDT acoustic metamaterial sound insulation has the following features.

1. Compatibility between high sound insulation performance and breathability
High sound insulation performance can be achieved even with openings, so noise problems during ventilation can be reduced. At the same time, auxiliary effects such as reduced power consumption due to natural ventilation can also be expected. For example, a reduction of 30 dB has been confirmed under the condition of an aperture ratio of 50%.

2. Degree of freedom in material selection and processing
In order to achieve sound insulation performance in terms of structure and shape, constituent materials can be freely selected. It is possible to add sound insulation performance to existing housings without increasing the number of parts, and to develop products with consideration for sustainability by utilizing thinned and recycled materials.

3. Flexible sound insulation band
It realizes flexible sound insulation characteristics according to the application scene, such as the property that "sound insulation performance" is improved only in a specific frequency band and the property that "sound insulation performance" is uniformly high from low frequency to high frequency. This can remove only unpleasant sounds or reduce the volume of the noise.

Recruitment of social implementation partner companies

PxDT is looking for partners who can help with social implementation in various fields such as air conditioning, building materials, furniture and fixtures, railways, construction, and automobiles. The PxDT acoustic metamaterial sound insulation material not only achieves both sound insulation performance and breathability, but is also a sound insulation material that can be implemented in society from a sustainable perspective.
Contact： https://pixiedusttech.com/news/contact/

The PxDT acoustic metamaterial sound insulation material will be exhibited at the international trade show "Orgatec Tokyo 2023" held from Wednesday, April 26th to Friday, April 28th. For details of the exhibition, please visit the official website of Orgatec Tokyo 2023.
■ Outline of exhibition
Name : Orgatec Tokyo 2023
Date and Time : April 26 (Wed) - 28 (Fri), 2023 10 : 00 - 17 : 00 (until 16 : 00 on the last day)
Venue : Tokyo Big Sight West Hall 1 and 2 (Oma number : E-14)
Sponsor : Koelnmesse Co., Ltd., Japan Office Furniture Association
URL：https://www.orgatec-tokyo.jp/

Future prospects

In order to solve the noise problem, PxDT has developed an innovative sound insulation material using advanced sound insulation design technology using computer. For PxDT, we will continue to add basic structures, expand standard products, and develop customized products. By responding to noise issues and needs in a wide range of fields, we will promote the resolution of noise problems in society as a whole.