Across Acoustics podcast host Kat Setzer interviews Dr. Lennart Moheit on his creation of a simulation tools app library for free use and teaching.

The platform was born during the time Dr. Moheit spent teaching acoustics engineering and simulation at the University of Munich. He designed the library of tools to optimize the experience of acoustic waves, sound and vibration. In just a few clicks, test setups can be modified to adjust anything from the speed of sound, amplitude and other parameters that traditionally were only available in advanced lab settings.

"Most details and mathematical equations are hidden in the background so expert knowledge is not required," Moheit says. "We also provide detailed documentation for each app so that the expert user can look at the underlying modeling assumptions and details."

Topics within the apps range from airborne sound, structure-borne sound, air acoustics, physics of waves, musical instruments and more. He states that an interactive approach is a great advantage over simple video representation; this also helps with the accessibility issue of advanced computer software that not all universities have. This, Moheit says, is why the site is so useful for teaching and simulating, as well as the added bonus of being able to visualize and put fun, life-like customizations to scenarios that usually would only be studied mathematically.

In one example Dr. Moheit gave, students learned sound radiation by designing bells using the simulations. Studying the connection between shape and sound, the students were given the opportunity to not only use this app to design their own bell, but also eventually visit a bell tower in Munich to connect their designs with real-life examples.

The full interview from the Acoustic Society of America can be heard on Across Acoustics.