Soft Speaker

Creative Prototyping, Crafts

UdK 2022/23

This project lies at the intersection of soft electronics and traditional crafts.

Combining the couching technique used in embroidery and the coiling technique as a basket weaving method, a conductive yarn or wire is isolated and shaped into a coil. When electricity flows through these conductive, isolated windings, a magnetic field is generated. In this way it is possible to handcraft the coil of an electromagnet. Additionally a permanent magnet is placed In the middle of the coil, causing it to move back and forth as its magnetic field pushes against that of the permanent magnet. The incredibly intricate electrical signal that flows through the coil is a precise replica of the audio that was originally recorded and contains the entire sound.

A number of different yarns and wires were tested for the conductive part, as well as the isolation. During many experiments the shape of the coil was altered and the the number of the windings was increased. Magnets of various sizes were taped or stitched into the middle of each coil. The approach was hands-on, exploring aesthetics and function through materials and critical crafting.

The outcome was a flexible experiment setup. With the help of 3D-printed, modified embroidery hoops and an amplifier, four handmade speakers could be tested and compared at once. The inner part of the embroidery frame was extruded in z-direction for better audibility.

© Katharina Sauter 2023
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