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A reconfigurable phononic crystal (PnC) is proposed where elastic properties can be modulated by rotation of asymmetric solid scatterers immersed in water. The scatterers are metallic rods with a cross section of 120◦ circular sector. Orientation of each rod is independently controlled by an external electric motor that allows continuous variation of the local scattering parameters and dispersion of sound in the entire crystal. Due to asymmetry of the scatterers, the crystal band structure possesses highly anisotropic band gaps. Synchronous rotation of all the scatterers by a definite angle changes the regime of reflection to the regime of transmission and vice versa. The same mechanically tunable structure functions as a gradient index medium by incremental, angular reorientation of rods along both row and column, and, subsequently, can serve as a tunable acoustic lens, an acoustic beam splitter, and finally an acoustic beam steerer. 

The primary noise sources of the vehicle are the engine, exhaust, aeroacoustic noise, and tire–pavement interaction. Noise generated by the first three factors can be reduced by replacing the combustion engine with an electric motor and optimizing aerodynamic design. Currently, a dominant noise within automobiles occurs from the tire–pavement interaction over a speed of 70–80 km/h. Most noise suppression efforts aim to use sound absorbers and cavity resonators to narrow the bandwidth of acoustic frequencies using foams. We demonstrate a technique utilizing acoustic metasurfaces (AMSes) with high reflective characteristics using relatively lightweight materials for noise reduction without any change in mechanical strength or weight of the tire. A simple technique is demonstrated that utilizes acoustic metalayers with high reflective characteristics using relatively lightweight materials for noise reduction without any change in mechanical strength or weight of the tire. The proposed design can significantly reduce the noise arising from tire–pavement interaction over a broadband of acoustic frequencies under 1000 Hz and over a wide range of vehicle speeds using a negative effective dynamic mass density approach. The experiment demonstrated that the sound transmission loss of AMSes is 2–5 dB larger than the acoustic foam near the cavity mode, at 200–300 Hz. The proposed approach can be extended to the generalized area of acoustic and vibration isolation.