Robust differential microphone array with constant mainlobe width and frequency-invariant directivity factor

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 15; no. 1; pp. 6565 - 15
• Main Authors: Zheng, Pu, Zhi, Yongfeng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 24.02.2025; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 639/166; 639/705; 639/766; Arrays; Differential microphone arrays (DMAs); Directivity factor; Frequency dependence; Humanities and Social Sciences; Methods; Microphones; multidisciplinary; Optimization; Performance evaluation; Robust DMAs; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Sensors; Simulation; White noise gain; Differential microphone arrays (DMAs); White noise gain; Robust DMAs; Directivity factor
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-90992-3

Differential beamforming, with its compact size and high directivity factor (DF), offers significant advantages for addressing various acoustic problems. While white noise gain (WNG) serves as a fundamental performance criterion for the robustness of differential microphone arrays (DMAs), simultaneously achieving both high WNG and frequency-invariant DF remains a significant challenge. This study presents a new method for the design of nonuniform linear robust DMAs. Our method effectively eliminates high-frequency extra nulls in the mainlobe of robust DMAs, thus preserving robustness and ensuring both frequency-invariant DF and consistent mainlobe width. The proposed approach achieves a WNG comparable to the maximum WNG method while mitigating its shortcomings in high-frequency, frequency-dependent variations of mainlobe width and DF, demonstrating its potential to enhance acoustic performance in complex environments.