Headphones of Hell
PROJECT 04 - Sound Machine
Kendall Schubert & Jennifer Fang
Narrative
“Headphones of Hell” symbolizes detachment from the mundane, highlighting the disconnect, chaos, and detachment from life.
Narrative
Product Description
At first glance, the "Headphones of Hell" resemble a standard pair of headphones made out of wood. Equipped with a simple on/off switch on a battery pack, it reveals its playful nature by generating a unconventional sound.
Inside the headphones, there are eight trimmed guitar strings suspended to a cam within a plywood box. A clear, acrylic-covered cutout allows users to see inside. When activated, these strings create a cacophonous and unpleasant soundscape as they scrape against the plywood. The unique design and sound are intended to symbolize detachment from life, perhaps highlighting the disconnection or chaos one might feel when wearing these headphones—a commentary on the overwhelming or disorienting aspects of modern life or technology.
Process I
Initial product sketches with different concepts of sound and drawing machines
Process II
A low fidelity cardboard prototype—the original iteration was designed to utilize a guitar pick and guitar strings to produce sound
Process III
Initial box prototype
Initial motor mount and string prototypes
Initial kerf cuts for headband piece
Process IV
Finalized cam pieces for sound production
Finalized box design with motor mount
Process V
Finished wiring for motors
Glued and reinforced headband & boxes
Created box for battery pack & wires
Bill of Materials
- ⅛ inch thick Plywood with kerf cut x 2
- 0.25” x 0.3” x ⅛” plywood rectangles x 2
- AA Batteries x 4
- Battery pack x 1
- Gear motors x 2
- Servo wires x 2 per box
- Wire connectors x 2
- Small wire cutters
- Screwdriver
- ⅛ inch plywood boxes with internal base for mounted motor x 2
- ⅛” 5-sided plywood box
- ⅛” black acrylic lid with switch cut-out
- 1/16” clear acrylic (Ear boxes)
- Wood glue
All plywood pieces fit on 1 18x12” sheet
Headpiece
Electronics
Sound Production
- Trimmed guitar strings x 16
- #4 Screws x 16
- Plywood cam with 8 holes x 4
- ⅛” wooden washers x 2
Boxes
Synthesis
Future Improvements
With future iterations, we hope to be able to produce a sound that has high adjustability and slightly lower the speed at which the motor spins. Access to a wider variety of gear motors would allow us to find a quieter motor to isolate the sound of the strings.
Deciding on the sound produced—our original idea utilized a guitar pick strumming strings suspended in an acrylic box, but the prototype was too small, imprecise, and inconsistent to produce pleasant sounds.
Soldering the motors—the case and mount holding the gear motor was compact and laid flat, causing the wires to pull free and have to be reattached several times.
Tolerance—negative tolerance was needed on the boxes to hold their weight when suspended but also allow a user to take the lid off in case the motor needed to be resoldered.
Challenges
Video link: https://youtu.be/Icq-XSkg3DM?feature=shared