In furthering my search on the thermophone( that I discussed
in a previous post) I came across an article on Huffington Post (Flexible Ultra-Thin 'Ionic' Gel Speaker) about another
similar speaker in development by a team lead by Zhigang Suo at Harvard
University.
This speaker is an ionic conductor that is comprised of a sheet of rubber between layers of a saltwater-polymer gel (hydrogel) and powered through copper wire. It works by sending high voltages through the hydrogel that in turn make the rubber vibrate and create sound. Surprisingly it has the capability to create frequencies across the entire audio spectrum of 20 hertz to 20 kilohertz. It does so by changing the thickness of the material. Their idea behind this is that it could be used as the surface for electronic devices such as televisions or smartphones.
This speaker is an ionic conductor that is comprised of a sheet of rubber between layers of a saltwater-polymer gel (hydrogel) and powered through copper wire. It works by sending high voltages through the hydrogel that in turn make the rubber vibrate and create sound. Surprisingly it has the capability to create frequencies across the entire audio spectrum of 20 hertz to 20 kilohertz. It does so by changing the thickness of the material. Their idea behind this is that it could be used as the surface for electronic devices such as televisions or smartphones.
What I was wondering is; will the changes is thickness
distort the screen when you are trying to watch something? In one video ( I
viewed you could see the changes in the surface but it was also shot at an
angle so that you could see the changes in the thickness of the surface.
Another video (here) that I watched seemed clear as a bell. This is another case where
I would really like to see a live demonstration where I can see the device up
close in action. I also wonder how low frequencies would sound in practical
applications because while it can reproduce the frequency it doesn’t mean that
it will sound good.
Another interesting application would be using this material
to create noise-canceling windows. Not only could this be used in studios to
further limit reflections but it could also be used in home applications in
noisy areas near busy streets, highways, or trains.
The biggest issue that they face with the utilization of
hydrogel is that as that they dry out over time. They are currently attempting
to create a substance that has a longer shelf life in order to create devices
that have a longer lifespan.
I don’t know about you guys but I feel like this is a much
more viable option than the thermophone.
What do you think?
Jared,
ReplyDeleteYou got me interested in this the other day, I ended up seeing that link as well. It's interesting to actually see the length of the wavelengths. As they increase the frequency you can see the wavelengths get shorter and shorter. It is a very visually stimulating experience. I just wonder how much voltage do they consider "high". Thanks for sharing!
Kyle Schroeder
Tubes & Transistors
Kyle,
DeleteI was wondering the same thing when it came to "high" voltage. They didn't specify in any of the articles that I read on it. I'm glad that they actually had videos that showed the prototype in use. Now only if I could find a video of the thermophone.
Jared,
ReplyDeleteThe noise cancelling applications for this have a lot of promise, but I really don't see any purpose for attaching your "speaker" to the screen.
Kevin,
DeleteI was thinking the same thing. I don't really see the practical applications for this especially since I doubt that it reproduces a good low end even though it is said to be capable of producing it. I do really like the idea of noise canceling windows though.