Week 16: System Integration
Soundbox and experiment kit
This week, I worked on system integration. This means that the individual parts of the project should work together and also look good. In my project, there are two parts that need to be developed and should fit together. One part is the soundbox, and the other part is the experiment kit for making conductive gummy bears.
The soundbox should meet the following requirements: There should be a surface with integrated conductive fields used for capacitive touch. Additionally, the electronics should be housed inside the box. At the same time, the box should act as a resonating chamber so that the sound from the speakers, which are also integrated into the box, can be heard well. To achieve good integration, my idea was to work with different layers. This was my first sketch:
I implemented this sketch by constructing a wooden box using laser cutting and CNC. On top of the wooden box, I used copper tape, which I connected with wires. To make the box look tidier, I added a second layer with holes through which I could neatly integrate the wires into the board. I was also able to mount the speakers here. This area is accessible for children. This is important so they can remove the SD card themselves to load new sounds onto the card if needed.The notches on the side of the box and the compartments allow the box to be easily transported and the sound to be heard well.
Secondly, I wanted the experiment kit to look appealing and match the box well. I decided to make a box out of cardboard and use laser cutting as the manufacturing process. I wanted the individual elements to be neatly arranged in the box. Therefore, I decided to cut layers for the box, with the appropriate sizes for the elements cut out.
