← Back to catalogue
Published

acoustic mirror

vr.tr.acoustic-mirror · thing-q444789

Let an agent describe acoustic mirrors historically, explain how they worked, and point to heritage records of surviving examples.

Thing Registry Physical world and living systems PHY.BLT
Bundle → Layer → Finding → QuestionsClassifiersWhat it isWhy it existsDistinguishing featuresWhat robots and AI may and may not doMoral aspectsOwnersLinks to other meta-modelsIdentity and identifiersDirect propertiesRecognitionCapabilities and actionsHazards and failure modesStandards and interfacesContext of useSources

Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled

4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions

Principle How it worked.

Acoustics

Sound focusing.

Principle

Focusing.

  1. How did the mirror focus sound? definition
  2. What sensor was used? provenance

Performance

Range and limits.

Performance

Range and conditions.

  1. What range did it achieve? measurement
  2. What limited it? provenance
Examples Surviving mirrors.

Sites

Locations.

Site

Place and type.

  1. Where are surviving mirrors? provenance
  2. What type are they? provenance

Dimensions

Size.

Dimensions

Values and source.

  1. What are their dimensions? measurement
  2. From which source? provenance
History Development and end.

Development

Designers and dates.

Development

Who and when.

  1. Who developed them and when? provenance
  2. Where were trials held? provenance

Replacement

Radar.

Replacement

Date and reason.

  1. When were they abandoned? provenance
  2. Why? provenance
Heritage Protection.

Listing

Status.

Listing

Status and number.

  1. Is it protected? provenance
  2. Under which listing? provenance

Access

Visits.

Access

Arrangements.

  1. Can the site be visited? provenance
  2. Under what arrangements? provenance

Classifiers Filled

Family
Thing Registry
Category
Physical world and living systems
Entry kind
thing
Plane
PHY
Domain
PHY.BLT

What it is Filled

A large concave reflector, commonly of concrete, built before radar to warn of approaching aircraft by concentrating their sound at a listening point; developed in Britain from the First World War against airships, with examples such as those at Denge. Development was abandoned in the mid-1930s in favour of radar, whose Chain Home network entered operational service from 1938.

Why it exists Filled

Let an agent describe acoustic mirrors historically, explain how they worked, and point to heritage records of surviving examples.

Distinguishing features Filled

  • Passive acoustic detection, before radar; an early 1915 example was cut into chalk.
  • Limited range, affected by wind and noise; faster aircraft shortened the warning time.
  • Abandoned in favour of radar in the mid-1930s; Chain Home became operational from 1938.

What robots and AI may and may not do Filled

Must not

  • encourage trespass on protected or unsafe sites

May

  • describe history and heritage

Moral aspects Filled

  • heritage conservation

Who is affected

  • visitors
  • landowners

Owners Filled

Steward

the landowner or heritage body for each surviving mirror

Master systems

  • national heritage lists

Links to other meta-models Filled

parent

  • Q1427940 - registry parent class
  • Q811979 - registry parent class

related

  • early warning system - military technology
  • radar - technology
  • sound focusing - principle
  • scheduled monument - heritage

What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled

Identity and identifiers required Filled

  • Vercy registry: vr.tr.acoustic-mirror
  • Wikidata: Q444789 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q444789)
  • heritage list entry: national heritage list number for scheduled examples

Direct properties required Filled

  • bowl diameter: commonly about 3-4 m; Denge about 6.1 and 9.1 m - the Denge wall is about 61 m long

Recognition required Filled

  • Concave concrete dishes or long curved walls on coastal sites
  • Large concave concrete dishes or curved walls facing out to sea.

Capabilities and actions required Filled

  • explain how they worked
  • describe types and surviving examples
  • describe their replacement by radar
  • point to heritage protection

Hazards and failure modes required Filled

  • Structural decay
  • Access risks at coastal sites

Standards and interfaces required Filled

  • Heritage protection law for scheduled monuments

Context of use required Filled

  • Historically, early warning of enemy aircraft; today heritage and education.
  • dish mirrors
  • wall mirrors

Sources Filled

  1. Q444789 - identity of the registry item, labels and sitelinks
  2. Acoustic mirror - general description of the subject
  3. Three acoustic early warning devices 2360m east of Jack's Court - Denge dimensions, focusing principle, range up to 25 miles, weather limitations, chalk prototype and radar replacement by 1936.
  4. World War I early warning acoustic mirror 60m east of Boulby Barns Farm - 1916 construction, Zeppelin-warning role, smaller mirrors and the effect of increasing aircraft speed.
  5. Acoustic Sound Mirrors at Greatstone-on-Sea, Lydd - Denge construction dates, 20 ft and 30 ft dishes, 200 ft wall and condition-dependent detection range.

Open questions

—

Machine files

Card as JSON Specification Card backlog vercy.card/1

Provenance

thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed

Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q444789/spec.json