How anechoic chambers work
Anechoic chambers are research laboratories, which are used to carry out tests or experiments. The environment is designed to be echo-free. These chambers are used in cases where it is necessary to recreate the situation of a potentially infinite open space, to test how a particular instrument, machine or device behaves in absolute silence, or to make very precise measurements without the presence of noise that could disturb the test. This environment is so quiet as to cause great annoyance and a feeling of discomfort, it is also called the quietest place in the world.
For this reason, the anechoic chamber is known by most as ‘the room that makes you go crazy’, the human ear, in fact, is used to maintaining balance and orienting itself thanks to echo, it is therefore without reference points in a place like this. In order to create sound-absorbing panels that do not reflect any kind of sound, their shape must be designed and constructed in a special way, the panels are in fact modelled according to specific pointed shapes, very protruding, placed close to each other. This shape is designed to increase the absorbing surface of the panel as much as possible, which will be much more effective than one with a flat shape.
How it works
When a sound event occurs in an anechoic chamber, the panels assimilate the noise inside, and what they cannot absorb is reflected back to the neighbouring panels, ensuring complete sound absorption. Attention must also be paid to the design of the entrance doors to the room and the ventilation system to prevent sound leakage. These panels are usually made of glass wool, a particularly sound-absorbent material that allows sound to dissipate. The anechoic chamber therefore absorbs any kind of sound, reverberation or electromagnetic waves, and these rooms are also usually insulated against sounds from outside.