Experimental Design for Flexible Acoustic Transducer for the Violin

Abstract

This paper explores an experimental design for a transducer which is able to conform to surfaces with curves in multiple directions. The purpose of this is to create a flexible transducer which reduces the distortion attributed and created by the lack of uniformity between a rigid flat transducer and a curved surface. Using an array of magnets arranged and a loose weaved coil, it is possible to construct a coil which can conform to such a surface and produce motion, like a classic transducer, creating sound using the surface like a speaker cone. In this musical application, this design was tested using a violin body as the curved surface. The resultant prototype may serve as a viable alternative to rigid transducer technology with further improvement and refinement.