Wednesday February 4th 2015, 4pm at the University in Antananarivo, Madagascar

Together with Brian Fisher, a visit and short talk at the Ecole Polytechnique Vontovorona to meet the engineering students. Very brief introduction to the ant research happening at the Madagascar Biodiversity Center and some examples of electronic textile materials. We explained how both building electronics from new materials, as well as the challenge of building technology in the field, could lead to some interesting new devices – such as “leaf speakers”. We then proceeded to demonstrate how to make such a leaf speaker by embroidering a conductive coil onto the surface of a leaf we picked from outside the building. And, with some amplification, it worked! Though only very quietly.

A continuation of this first short intro meeting could be a workshop or hack event held at the Center for Biodiversity in Tana. Such a workshop could look at combining nature’s materials found in the Tsimbazaza zoo with conductive embroidery to make functioning electronic speakers. Sharing the science behind how speakers work and what materials make good membranes for moving air, translating digital audio files into airwaves we can hear.

This workshop is part of the Dissemination Lab: Madagaskar

When we get to the field we’ll try to make some bigger, louder, and headphone versions of these to playback the sounds of the jungle!

Diagram of a speaker:

Embroidered Speaker

Links

Paper speakers >> http://kit-of-no-parts.at/?p=265
Embroidered speakers >> http://www.kobakant.at/DIY/?p=2936
Dissemination Lab >> http://www.fisherlab.org/dissemination-lab.html
Dissemination Lab’s field journal >> https://openexplorer.com/expedition/disseminationlabmadagascar

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