Transformable origami-inspired acoustic waveguides

Using foldable origami-like structures, we design reconfigurable and switchable acoustic waveguides composed of interconnected periodic arrays of hollow tubes to manipulate and guide sound. We demonstrate both numerically and experimentally that upon application of external deformation, the structure is folded and transformed to one-, two-, and three-dimensional waveguide in which sound waves travel through the tubes. The proposed design expands the ability of existing acoustic waveguides by enabling tunability induced by reversible deformation and folding shape transformation over a wide range of frequencies, opening avenues for the design of novel tunable waveguides and adaptive sound filters.