Rendezvous
JavaScript
Fabrication
Process
We interviewed some relatives who do square dancing often — they enjoy dancing, making new friends, and chatting before and after the activity. It is one of their must-dos in daily life. The square dancing groups nowadays normally have a lot of people. One or two “leaders” from the groups have to bring some very big speakers to the plaza every day. The speakers have wheels on them, but they are still heavy and bulky. Also, during festivals when they want to play the same music and dance together in different locations simultaneously, it always seems impossible because they cannot play the music at the same time.
IdeationBased on the research and interview, we decided to redesign the speakers for the elderly who do square dancing — the speakers which are not heavy, big, or bulky, and can synchronize the music simultaneously in different locations. We started the project by disassembling what a properly working speaker needs:
- speaker(s)
- amplifier
- power
- control
- enclosure
- audio source
Above are some essentials that a decent speaker needs, physically. To let more speakers synchronize music, we need the internet — and here is where we introduce Google Pixel 3. Each set of speakers is connected to a Pixel 3 which is connected to the internet. The phones are all connected to the same server so they can share the same data simultaneously. A simple music player was created in p5.js with the functions of play/pause, next track, previous track, repeat, and reset. The controls should be simple given the users’ familiarity with using electronic devices. There are some physical buttons on the lid of the speakers to control the phone underneath. The buttons are all raw brass because they are conductive — in that way, users can simply control the music player on p5.js sketch from the screen.
Outcome
Ideally, there will be a network of speakers, as long as the server is running, the number of speakers does not matter — the more, the better. Two sets of speakers were made to show our idea. One is mainly made from concrete, the other one is purely of acrylic panels.
The reason why concrete was chosen is because of its longevity and durability. If accidentally dropped, the concrete enclosure can be patched. It also provides some nostalgic texture and feelings, because the user group is mainly from the era when concrete and metal were being mass-produced in China. As concrete ages, it develops some unique patterns, and we hope this move can make the speaker more personalized and attached to its user.
The acrylic version is lighter in weight and easier to make. The main part which consists of 6 white translucent acrylic pieces has no glue in it at all because we customized some corner and side brackets and have them screwed on the white panels. The brackets act like the structure and they hold the whole speaker together. This version lets the users be able to customize the color of the speaker and it is relatively easier to maintain as well — if accidentally dropped, one can easily disassemble the enclosure and replace it with new parts.
The power source stays inside both enclosures so the outside looks clean. The concrete model uses a 3” speaker and 12V battery; the acrylic one uses 2” speakers and a 5V battery.