Unsounded – Dev log

7/10/2021

Phrase I summary

The idea of the project is to create “stickers” (small devices that can hide in the corners of the streets) that create subtle changes to the nearby environment.
One form of the devices can be stickers with customized printed circuits. Each individual sticker can gain power from the environment via piezoelectricity that charges a single-layer Li-Po battery. When the battery is fully charged, the sticker will record a piece of sound and transmit it to the air. If a nearby sticker has enough electricity and it catches the signal, it will try to play the sound. Multiple stickers will be distributed in an area to create sound portals in the community. The graphic design of the stickers is also important as it should indicate the function of the sticker yet merge naturally into the local landscape.
The goal is to invoke awareness on various social issues by breaking the familiar environment and the usual daily routine of the citizens. Related theories including urban interventionism and non-violent direct action will be explored.

22/22/2021

Discussion on technique aspect:

Charging circuit & others

17/12/2021

final meeting pharse 1

20/12/2021

Pharse II proposal

2/2022

Did some test and experiment on harvesting energy from sound

There are not very successful. I also tried built some simple circuit on paper using conductive tape and conductive ink. They don’t work as well as I thought they will as well…

Considering that the time is limited and the testing and experiments didn’t go well, I decide to give up making stickers. Instead, I would make small installations (though bigger than stickers, but still relatively small) using PCB.

8/3/2022

Finalized what PCB modules to use for the installation. Also I realize that to create a big network it require a large amount of the installations. It will be insanely expansive for me to make that many. The solution I figure out is to make this project a open-source one: I should design the installation in a way that it is easy to make and assemble; I would also create a IKEA style menu for the installation, people can download all the documentations and files (laser cut files, source code etc.) on a website and make the installation by themselves and put it into local community. It is a bit like a participatory project. When people start making and placing the installation, a network in the community is naturally found.

The GitHub repo (empty for now…): https://github.com/Real-John-Cheung/Unsounded

12/3/2022

Designed the installation

21/3/2022

Finally get the laser cut session

22/3/2022

Assemble test & prototype

Also start making the 3d models for creating the manual

31/3/2022

finish programming the hardware, code can be found on the GitHub repo

also finish modeling the componets

start editing the IKEA style menu and making the website

the (now WIP) website can be found here: https://real-john-cheung.github.io/Unsounded/

1/4/2022

finish the technical drawings for the manual

7/4/2022

Finished the manual and the component list

Also printed out a serval versions to test the folding

after wasting some paper, finally got the sample manual

14/4/2022

Finish theoretical text

19/4/2022 – 21/4/2022

Produced the finalised manuals and started setting up in the exhibition

22/4/2022

Finish setting up and also finish website:

https://johncheung.art/unsounded

27/4/2022

Oral Presentation

29/4/2022

Updated the website and made new versions of the manuals