UCF’s Innovative Center houses a 217‑square‑foot anechoic chamber designed to keep outside sound out and absorb reflected sound inside. The walls and ceiling are lined with sound‑absorbing foam wedges, while the floor consists of a steel mesh grid over a layer of the same material, creating an environment without echo. The chamber is used for precise acoustic measurements in research on hearing devices and other technologies.
Professor Pavel Zahorik of the College of Health Professions and Sciences conducts work in the chamber to improve hearing aids and listening devices. According to the National Institutes of Health, about 15 percent of American adults—roughly 37.5 million people—report some trouble hearing, and among adults ages 65 to 74 roughly a third have hearing loss in one or both ears. By testing devices on mannequins and human participants within the echo‑free space, Zahorik can assess how sound interacts with the unique shapes of ears and heads, aiming to make hearing aids more accurate and effective. The UCF chamber is noted as the only anechoic facility devoted solely to research on human health.
Press release issued by UCF Today:
https://www.ucf.edu/news/the-quietest-place-on-ucfs-campus/
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