Mechanical characterization of the human auricle for earable device design.

Abstract

The human auricle, despite its intricate anatomy and biomechanical significance, remains relatively under-studied in terms of its mechanical properties. This work aims to characterise the mechanical behaviour of human auricles and provide novel experimental and modelling tools to simulate this response, with a focus on informing the design of wearable ear devices, or 'earables'. A realistic phantom auricle model was constructed with the aim of providing an experimental tool for use in researching auricle mechanical properties. This tool proved its worth by being used to develop a methodology for testing the mechanical response of human auricles. A volunteer study was then conducted using this methodology to characterise the mechanical and structural behaviour of the human auricle. In static loading tests, the force required to bend human auricles was found to vary from 0.09 N to 0.15 N for an applied displacement equal to 25% of the auricle's width. In dynamic loading tests, the measured natural frequency of the human auricle ranged from 13 Hz to 27 Hz. Finally, a finite element computational model was developed to simulate the measured mechanical behaviour of the human auricle. The aim was to provide a computational tool to use alongside the experimental phantom tool to explore the mechanical response of human auricles in conjunction with earables. This model was validated by comparison with the measured human auricle data.