16. Applications and Implications
This week I started to work on Applications and Implications. The task for this week is to propose a final project masterpiece that integrates the range of topics that were being covered.
Final Project - Custo(m)ade Headphone
My final project is to create a bespoke headphone design through digital fabrication. The whole idea is to make it modular and customizable so that it allows user to change the design, style, function according to their preferences.
You can access the details and information in the Final Project site HERE.
What's Done Before?
Currently, what is commonly available in the market are headphones with some basic customizable features such as changing of skin cover as shown in the image below by V-Moda:
However, there are actually 2 other companies that are doing customization headphones, similar to my idea. The first company is AiAiAi Audio. They are more focus on the quality of the sound speakers and some basic accessories parts which comes in various options for the user to choose. However, it has limited options and choices and in fact, all of the design looks kind of similar and comes only in black color. Personally, I think this headphone is cater for audiophile enthusiast who desire good sound quality but not so much on the aesthetic outlook and it may not appear well for the younger generations who tends to prefer vibrant colors and style.
The other company is Print+. This company is very similar to what I am going to create as they uses digital fabrication techniques to create the headphone and it comes with various colors and styling that allows user to choose. However, their product only uses very low quality 3D printing techniques and the quality is closer to a DIY product than a proper headphone. Also, the sound quality is average and there is no other options to choose.
My Design Brief
So for my design, I am going to take insights of all the Cons points of the companies as mention above and turn them into my Pros points. In other words, my design objectives are firstly, to create a bespoke headphone that allows users to customize; user can choose the quality of speakers that they want. Secondly, the headphone will comes in different styling, colors and materials to suit different users and identity. Thirdly, the headphone can be easily fabricated using digital fabrication tools & equipment such as CNC milling and 3D printing. Lastly, it comes with various added feature and functions such as LED Pixels that lights up according to the beats of the music etc.
Design Creation
It will be a challenging task for me to create the headphone as I will need to understand all the components and dimension that are going to be integrated into the rather small headphone set as well as taking into consideration of the assembly process too. I the proceed to create the CAD model in Rhino 3D and carefully constructed the layers of components to integrate with the various electronic components and PCB.
Materials & Components
As I am looking to create a headphone that has an integrated LED pixels which will run according to the beats of the music, I will need to have certain components in hand. Also, since it is a headphone that needs to communicate with a device to play the music, I will need to have a Bluetooth module as well. So below is the list of components that I will need for the headphone design:
| S/N | Description | Price ($) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Xiao ESP32C3 | $7.40 |
| 2 | Speaker (1 W) x 2 | $1.80 |
| 3 | NeoPixels (Ring - 8) x 2 | $4.00 |
| 4 | Lithium Battery (3.7V) | $12.00 |
| 5 | MP3 Bluetooth Decoder/Driver | $2.10 |
| 6 | Sound Sensor (LM393) | $1.80 |
| 7 | Mini Slide Switch | $0.20 |
| 8 | Audio Jack (3.5mm) x 2 | $3.20 |
| 9 | Audio Jack Socket (3.5mm) x 2 | $3.85 |
| 10 | Buttons (6mm) x 3 | $1.65 |
| 11 | Voltage Regulator (AZ1117CH) | $0.60 |
| 12 | Pin Head | $2.00 |
| 13 | Capacitors (1μF and 0.1μF) x 2 | $0.40 |
| 14 | Ear Pad Cushion | $19.00 |
| 15 | Headband Cushion | $13.00 |
| - | Total | $73.00 |
Fabrication Processes
There will be a few digital fabrication processes involved in the making of the headphone design such as:
- Additive Manufacturing - SLA 3D Printing of parts with Formlabs
- Substractive Manufacturing - CNC Milling of PCB with StepCraft
- Programming - Embedded Programming with Arduino IDE
Evaluation
The evaluation of the headphone design should be able to display/perform the following tasks:
- Able to connect to any bluetooth enabled devices
- Able to select play, stop, forward, backward, increase & decrease of volume control
- Able to run LED pixels according to the beats of the music
- Able to switch On/Off of the LED pixels
- Able to run with a 3.7V lithium battery
Reflection
This week is the 3rd last week for Fab Academy, very close to the final hurdle. So see you next week!.