Alternative Material Speakers

[xtine333]

Hello!
My name is Christine Shallenberg and I teach a course on wearable electronic interfaces and am interested in processes for building speakers with soft materials. https://wearablesandsoftcomputing.wordpress.com/

Many have done interesting research in this area, including Jesse Seay https://www.instructables.com/id/Har...gnet-Speakers/
and Hannah Perner-Wilson https://www.kobakant.at/DIY/?p=2936

I'd be interested to hear what you all have to say in the realm of soft, structural, accessible, amplification.

Thank you in advance for your thoughts

[J M Fahey]

First of all, welcome to the Forum

As of the fabric membrane speakers ...





or the improved paper membrane type



..... they are "interesting", mainly as an Art product rather than a Technological one, or as a curio/conversation piece but such a design runs completely opposite to what a "real" speaker is expected to do, so what functionality may be achieved is very limited.

All you can get with fabric as a membrane, specially on very open and soft "knit" type is very weak, almost inaudible sound, and within a very limited range.

Paper/plastic film is better of course, and the real World application is the Magneplanar speaker:



sadly, not too "wearable"

Please feel free to share your experiments, we will try to help you in any Tech area problem you may have, to the full extent of our possibilities

Not too much help I fear on the

subversion and artistic appropriation

area; in fact we are *just* recovering from a hangover caused by a couple "subversion and appropriation" type people, so please forgive us if we are a little paranoid about *that*.

[Leo_Gnardo]

I'd be interested to hear what you all have to say in the realm of soft, structural, accessible, amplification.

Should go along great with wearable computers, the wave of the future!

Say, what ever happened to Xybrnaut? Crashed & burned 15 years ago... Well who knows, should be due for a revival right about now. Kind of like automobile development. Cugnot's machine certainly wasn't accepted in the 1770's. But a mere 150 years later, motorized vehicles were an unstoppable force. No worry about the time lag, in the modern day lead times are much much shorter.

And it will be a trip, hearing music emanating from "impossible" places. Here comes the future, hold on to your hats! Oh there's music coming out of those too. This time of year, an 80's hit from my toque: "The Great White North," you hosers.

As Juan has pointed out, Magneplanars have been around for about half a century. And electrostatic speakers of various sorts for even longer, with super light weight plastic film vibrating membranes. But it could be a bit of a hassle to carry around a 20,000 volt generator in portable form. I'm sure the boffins will work it out in short order. Guaranteed to be an electrifying experience.

If you can't have fun with it, what's the point?

[nevetslab]

But it could be a bit of a hassle to carry around a 20,000 volt generator in portable form. I'm sure the boffins will work it out in short order. Guaranteed to be an electrifying experience.

If you can't have fun with it, what's the point?

Alternative use for Taser guns?

[nickb]

My first thought is that trying to move air with something soft is going to be very inefficient. The designs on the Hannah Perner-Wilson page require a big magnet, not shown, in order to work. I can't imagine that component would be soft, flexible or very comfortable to wear.

I don't know, but I expect you would get better results using small piezo type devices hidden inside material layers. They are very small, light and don't need a magnet. Perhaps piezo films could be made to work if stretched over an aperture and then disguised.

You also mention amplification. I think it would be very possible to make an extremely compact and versatile amplifier that could be incorporated into clothing. The problem area are power supply, heat dissipation and budget. The first two are minimized by keeping the power output low, 50-100mW is the sort of area I'm thinking. Size is pretty much inversely proportional to your budget - think expensive custom chips for the smallest size. Building circuits on flexible PCB films is a well established process too.

[rjb]

If you are willing to consider hiding a commericial product vs. make-your-own, recordable talking greeting cards might be an option- or at least a working example of what can be done.
http://www.talkingproducts.com/recor...-cards-30.html

These "voice pads" might qualify as an off-the-shelf "wearable electronic interface."
http://www.talkingproducts.com/educa...voice-pad.html

Is it imperative that the garment be the speaker?

-rb

[Mark Hammer]

While the idea is certainly intriguing, what sort of sound-pressure levels have been obtained or are being sought?

My own thinking is hemmed in by the requirements for coil-based air movement. There are certainly plenty of historical and commercial precedents of coil-based drivers using alternate materials, like styrofoam membranes.

[tboy]

How about strapping this rig to your back?

[eschertron]

Any electro-magnetic drive will be heavy and uncomfortable, if we're thinking about making a large membrane design. An array of smaller drivers could work, if they were used the way beads can be fastened into a wearable fabric. Small, encapsulated drivers (a technological feat, not a textile one) could even make their own visual statement. Having said that...

I'm agreeing with Nick. Ditch a coil-and-magnet driver altogether. If piezo crystals can be embedded in a material that is both flexible enough to be wearable, and yet stiff enough to keep the pressure waves coherent, then... well, all we need to do is find that material. Calling Mr Edison, calling Mr Edison...

[rjb]

Keep your eye out for new developements in MEMS speakers (maybe not plentiful or super affordable just yet)...
https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/new...audio-roundup/

-rb

[nosaj]

Listen to your beats and cook your food. Sounds like a win win.
nosaj

[J M Fahey]

I find it curious that our new Member posted her question 2 days ago and has never even checked in since ... we posted 10 answers but maybe we are just talking with the rocks

[Leo_Gnardo]

I find it curious that our new Member posted her question 2 days ago and has never even checked in since ... we posted 10 answers but maybe we are just talking with the rocks

Sometimes new members are slow in keeping up. And the good professor may be keeping busy with her teaching schedule & students' projects. Or she may be put off by - what seem to be - wise guy answers. Although there are valuable things to be found in some of them. In any case, those who wish to post, go ahead. And the rest of us will await some feedback. Meanwhile, on with business as usual.

[rjb]

System Weirdness Report:
I just posted a message, only to find that Leo had already voiced the same sentiments more eloquently.
So I tried to delete my post, but now see a "place holder" with my user name and status but no post number.
-rb

[Leo_Gnardo]

System Weirdness Report:
I just posted a message, only to find that Leo had already voiced the same sentiments more eloquently.
So I tried do delete my post, but now see a "place holder" with my user name and status but no post number.
-rb

Thanx for the positive review!

And that's what happens now when you erase your post.

Back to our program, where we patiently await the professor's return.