Nine sound producing elements were integrated on specific places into and onto the table: the neck, the mouth, the buttocks, the palm of both hands, the hollow of both knees and the cavity of both feet. Their location was chosen in function of two things: the sensitivity of the human body and the places with the highest probability of bodily contact. The knees and hand elements are incorporated in stainless steel soup spoons. The foot elements are attached to the body using velcro. A white balloon covers the mouth element that is cast in silicone. A neck support was welded onto the table and comprises the neck element. A circular stainless steel plate was integrated into the table for the stimulation of the buttocks.
I wanted to convey sound in different ways and opted for various transducers: four speakers, three electro-magnets, one vibrator motor and one piezoelectric disk. I used molded rubber shapes to transmit the vibrations of the speakers and electro-magnets to the body. To suit people of various heights several sound producing elements are moveable. The contact points for the knees are attached to a sliding system and the contact points for the hands can turn 180 degrees.
speakers
Speakers are used for the right hand element, the right knee element and both feet. A speaker was glued in a velcro strap for each foot. For the right knee and the right hand element a speaker was integrated in a stainless steel soupspoon. The vibrations are transmitted via rubber forms that are attached to the speaker cone.
electro-magnets
The three electro-magnets integrated in the table were recycled from old signal-horns. The electro-magnet integrated in the left knee element is a different type than the electro-magnets of the neck and left hand and therefore gives a different sensation.
vibrator motor
When measuring people’s dimensions, I noticed a high deviation in the distance between the middle of the neck and the tailbone. Consequently, the contact point at the buttocks had to have a larger shape. After an experiment with a subwoofer that proved to be too fragile, a vibrator motor attached to a circular plate turned out to be an appropriate solution to cover a larger surface.
piezoelectric disc
The mouth piece utilizes a piezoelectric disc cast in silicone. As this element makes use of bone conduction, the user has to place his teeth onto the silicone disc to be able to hear what is emitted. A fresh balloon is placed over the silicone shape for each new patient.
