IEE Electronics Division: Chairman´s address. Acoustics in space and time: a developing technology

The role of high-frequency acoustics in the development of electronics is demonstrated by examples of temporal and spatial signal processing. Surface-acoustic-wave techniques permit the synthesis of devices that would be difficult to realise with equal accuracy by other means. The application of spatial signal processing to imaging is described, with reference to the acoustic microscope, in which recent innovations provide extremely high resolutions. A conclusion is drawn that major innovative steps are still possible, even at the present sophisticated stage of physical science.