program in architectural acoustics communication acoustics and aural architecture research...

Program in Architectural AcousticsCommunication Acoustics and Aural Architecture Research Laboratory

Jonas Braasch Graduate Program in Architectural Acoustics

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NYhttp://symphony.arch.rpi.edu/~braasj

Research Design Seminar 1Course and Program Overview


Course Goals

• Learning to analyze and critically evaluate ideas, arguments, and points of view

• Developing skill in expressing myself orally or in writing

• Learning how to find and use resources for answering questions or solving problems


Schedule

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

8 am-10am Office hours Ning Xiang(9-10)

10am -12pm Sonic Research LabN.X.

Applied Psychoacoustics (J.B.)

Engineering Acoustics N.X.

Sonic Research LabN.X.

Architectural Acoustics T.B.

12pm -2pm Research Design Seminar/ J.B.

Office hours Jonas Braasch

Architectural Acoustics T.B.

2pm-4pm Office hours Jonas Braasch (2-3)

Office hours Todd Brooks (2-3)

4pm-6pm


Core Faculty Team

Ning Xiang, Associate Professor, Program Directorhttp://symphony.arch.rpi.edu/~xiangn/

Jonas Braasch, Assistant Professor,http://symphony.arch.rpi.edu/~braasj/

Todd Brooks, Adjunct Project, Senior Consultant at Artec

http://www.artecconsultants.com/04_personnel/consultants_bios/todd_brooks.html


Academic Calendar Fall 2009

• http://www.rpi.edu/academics/calendar09-10.html• Fall Semester 2009: August 31-Dec 11• Spring Semester 2010: January 25-May 11

• Fall Holidays: – Labor Day, Sept. 7

– Columbus Day, Oct 12 (Oct 13 follows Monday Schedule)

– November 23-25, Thanksgiving Break


What is a Master’s Thesis

• document that presents the author's research.

• is submitted to obtain a degree

• The word thesis comes from the Greek word , meaning “position” (intellectual proposition)


Research

• is the process to gather new knowledge and to establish new facts

• uses a systematic approach to find and evaluate new facts

• typically uses the scientific method


The Scientific Method/Method of Inquiry

• refers to a body of well-established techniques to gather new knowledge, correct or refine existing knowledge

• usually includes data collection, through observation and/or experimentation, and formulating and evaluating hypotheses (e.g., using statistical methods).

• All steps to gather new knowledge should be repeatable, in order to be verifiable. Consequently researchers are expected to share all of their data and documents (full disclosure).


hy·poth·e·sis

• a tentative assumption made in order to draw out and test its logical or empirical consequences

Etymology: Greek, from hypotithenai to put under, suppose

date: circa 1656

source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary


the·o·ry

• a plausible or scientifically acceptable general principle or body of principles offered to explain phenomena <the wave theory of light>a hypothesis assumed for the sake of argument or investigation

• an unproved assumption

Etymology: Late Latin and Greek theoriadate: 1592



law

• a statement of an order or relation of phenomena that so far as is known is invariable under the given conditions

• a general relation proved or assumed to hold between mathematical or logical expressions

• a binding custom or practice of a community • a rule of conduct or action prescribed or formally

recognized as binding or enforced by a controlling authority

date: before 12th century



Master’s Thesis

• 40-120 pages long

• Worth 5 Thesis Credits

• Not graded

• Public document


Graduate School Requirements


Master’s Thesis 2009• Bockman, Alexander. 2009. On the construction of a coupled

solver for 2D boundary element acoustics: intrinsic error and its minimization (adv. N.X.)

• Hart, Noel W. 2009. Investigating multifractals to quantify diffuseness in room acoustics (adv. N.X.)

• Dieckman, Eric A. 2009. Bayesian parameter estimation of porous materials (adv. N.X.)

• Trivedi, Uday S. 2009. Utilizing reciprocal maximum-length and related sequences in the generation of a natural, spatial sounding reverberation (adv. N.X.)

• Robinson, Philip W. 2009. Determining surface scattering from goniometer based diffusion measurements

• (adv. N.X.)• Botts, Jonathan. 2009. A low-frequency investigation of acoustically

coupled spaces using the finite-difference time-domain (adv. N.X.)• Myrbeck, Shane A. 2009. The impact of lighting and room acoustics

parameters on the perceived intimacy of a musical performance (adv. J.B.)

• Abercrombie, Clemeth L. 2009. Influence of vibration and stage construction on the perception of musical performance (adv. J.B.)

• Ellison, John. 2009. The effectiveness of multiple harmonics in eliciting the precedence effect in normal-hearing listener (adv. J.B.)


Master’s Thesis 2008• Olson, Stephen Thomas. 2008. Understanding the perception of double-sloped

energy decays: a multidimensional scaling approach (adv. N.X.)• Malora, Douglas Scott. 2008. Experimental determination of scattering

coefficients: a scale model approach (adv. N.X.)• Cain, Michael C. 2008: A subjective analysis of early decay time using a

simulated soundfield (adv. P.C.)• Markham, Benjamin E. 2008. Multi-resolution geometrical acoustics modeling

(adv. P.C.)• Giglio, Mark V. 2008. The effect of reverberation and echo on the perception of

audio-visual simultaneity (adv. P.C.)• Di Angelo, Adam. 2008. Arcane methods in architectural acoustics (adv. P.C.)• van der Harten, Arthur Wayne. 2008. The investigation of geometrical

acoustics within a 3-dimensional CAD program (adv. P.C.)• Tranby, Nicholas S. 2008. Talker localization utilizing a microphone array and

close microphones (adv. J.B.)• Secules, Stephen D. 2008. Quantifying the degradation of automatic speech

recognition for reverberant environments (adv. J.B.)• Stetson, Kathleen A. 2008. Singers' preferences for acoustical characteristics

of concert halls (adv. J.B.)• Gedemer, Linda A. 2008. Perceptual requirements of dynamic auralizations in

audiovisual environments (adv. J.B.)• Guthrie, Anne Elizabeth. 2008. Using telepresence to evaluate the relevance of

acoustic parameters for musician communication in indeterminate music (adv. J.B.)


Master’s Thesis 2007

• Digerness, Joseph. 2007. Modeling the effects of desk chairs on classroom reverberation time (adv. P.C.)

• Yuen, Cheuk Wa. 2007. Investigation of voice stage support: subjective preference test using an auralization system for self-voice (adv. P.C.)

• Rubin, Gordon. 2007. Acoustic material measurement using scanning laser doppler vibrometer (adv. N.X.)

• Ruggles, Dorea R. 2007. A binaural approach to speech intelligibility (adv. N.X.)

• de la Cruz Alvarez, Rolando A. 2007. Sound-field scanning in acoustically coupled spaces with the use of a high-resolution measurement system (adv. N.X.)


Doctoral Dissertations

• Henderson, Paul D. 2006. Achieving perceptually-accurate aural telepresence (adv. N.X.)

• Jing, Yun. 2009. On the use of transport and diffusion equations for room-acoustic predictions (adv. N.X.)

• Valente, Daniel L. 2009. Listeners' expectation of room acoustical parameters based on visual cues (adv. J.B.)


Recent Master Thesis Topics(Selection)

• Architectural Scale Models

• Coupled Volumes

• Binaural Psychoacoustics

• Auditory-Visual Interaction in Rooms

• Stereoscopic Binaural Dummy Head

• Artificial Reverberation Algorithms


How to find previous Master’s Theses

• Go to RensSearch (need campus access or VPN access)

http://opac.lib.rpi.edu/Type in advisers:

Xiang, NingCalamia, PaulorBraasch, Jonas

(make sure to download thesis from menu and not just cover page and abstract)


Assignment

• Read paper: Vorlaender, M. (2009) Auralization of Spaces, Physics Today [handed out in class]

• Write essay with the topic:– “Why do you want to study Architectural Acoustics and what field

would you like to pursue your research in”– (about 1-2 pages, letter-size format)– It is okay to adapt your program-application cover letter

• Due date: paper before next class, writing assignment, Sept. 11, 2009–


Schedule conflicts

• 127 AES Convention, October 9-12 (Friday-Monday), 2009[October, likely Class Field Trip to ARUP and AES]

• New York Electronic Art Festival (Sunday October 18th)• Friday October 23 Harvestworks Demo

• Binaural Bash: Oct 23-24

• IWPASH 2009 (International Workshop on the Principles and Applications of Spatial Hearing), Japan,November 11-13 (Wednesday-Friday), 2009


Preparing a Master’s Thesis using Latex

• RPI Latex Master’s Thesis Template and Guidelines

• http://helpdesk.rpi.edu/update.do?artcenterkey=325

• PDF-Guideline and template-how-to:• http://rpi.edu/dept/arc/docs/latex-thesis/

rpithesis-doc.pdf


Master’s Degree Requirement

• http://catalog.rpi.edu/content.php?catoid=8&navoid=180#Mast_Degr


RPI Master’s Thesis Requirements

• Digital Thesis FAQ• http://library.rpi.edu/update.do?artcenterkey=1079

• RPI Thesis Manual• http://www.rpi.edu/dept/grad/docs/ThesisGuide/manual.PDF


Graduate School PDF Forms

• http://gradoffice.rpi.edu:80/update.do?catcenterkey=20


Required Tools

• Matlab

• Latex

• Word & Powerpoint

• EASE, Easera, CATT-Acoustics

• Pure Data


Graduation Dates

• May 4: Master’s theses due to advisers.• May 11: Master’s theses due in the Graduate School. • May 29: Commencement

• July 23: Master’s theses due to advisers.• July 30: Master’s theses due to the Graduate School.• August 31: Official date of August graduation; diplomas

mailed to students after final clearance is completed in September. Degree recipients may take part in the May 2011 Commencement ceremony.

• Approx. November 30: Master’s theses due to advisers.• Approx. December 11: Classes end after last evening

class.Master’s theses due to the Graduate School. • Approx. December 31: Official date of December

graduation; diplomas mailed in January. May 2011 Commencement ceremony.


What to do to graduate in May 2010?

• Find Thesis topic really soon (e.g., October 2009)

• Spend real time working on the thesis during the winter break

• Continue to work on the Thesis during the Design Competition (Spring 2010)


Fellowships

• Fellowships:• NSF Graduate Fellowship, Nov 2-12• http://www.nsfgrfp.org/• National Defense Science & Engineering Graduate

Fellowship, deadline will be announced in September• http://ndseg.asee.org/• RPI HAAS Fellowships, internal Doctoral Fellowship,

usually due in March.

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