Sound strand design : designing mechanical joints to facilitate user interaction within a physical representation of digital music

Abstract

This project involved the mechanical design of a modular musical instrument, named the "Sound Strand." Intended to be attached end-to-end one onto another in order to produce a string of music, each module was constructed to be easily maneuverable by hand and compactly contained within a 4"x2"x2" space. The result was a module that contains three mechanical joints, which allow three separate degrees of motion within the module. A final design was achieved with a three-piece mechanism that allows Elongation, Rotation, and Bending movements. Analog potentiometers serve as the electronic tools that read the physical changes in each joint by sensing movements and outputting a voltage signal; a microcontroller with an analog-to-digital converter then transforms the electrical outputs into a digital signal, which leads to circuit boards intended to also fit within the modular space. After several iterations, the design was streamlined to optimize mechanical freedom while minimizing size, loose joints, and material used.