- Soft Sound
- Human Scale Envelope
- November 2013
- M.Arch. Flat Studio Project
Soft Sound experiments with the concept of how technology creates “envelopes” that can monitor and mediate our environment and ourselves. Stimulus is trans-coded into data which is used in a system of feedback and control.
In this project, the stimulus of study is one that is immediate to the body: the angle of the head. Using a tilt sensor, real time data is collected and trans-coded into sound, or more precisely a signal amplitude (volume) and location (left/right ear).
As the name suggests, the helmet is soft and functional. The speaker pads are made of fabric with embroidered coils and earth magnet disks are sewn into the back lining. Stuffing provides the speaker diaphragm both rigidity and comfort. Electrical current is carried by thin malleable wire, conductive thread, and fabrics. The zipper acts as an electrical switch connecting the two hemispheres which contains the left and right audio output. Additional hardware is minimal and self-contained, and is protected inside the helmet itself. No outlet is required.
Users can plug in their personal devices and literally listen to their movements.