Abstract: In order to magnify time delays between received signals of small aperture arrays and improve the localization performance of such arrays, a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) delay magnification system is presented. The mechanical model of the coupled ears is extended to be n-dimensional. Besides, the relationship between coupling parameters and magnification is investigated. Based on the mechanical model, a MIMO delay magnification system is proposed and realized by algorithm. System parameters can be adjusted flexibly according to sound frequency, and the magnification factor can be precisely controlled. Experimental results show that the delay magnification system can be applied to small aperture arrays to magnify the time delay of received signals and improve the sound source localization accuracy.

Key words: biomimetic coupling, delay magnification system, small aperture array, sound source localization