lotus by shannon werle from usa

Lotus is an audible surface that imagines what a field of blooming lotus flowers might sound like, as the "pop" these blooms produce are actually beyond the range of human hearing. The building block is simple: a half sphere of flexible, rubber-like material produces a "pop" when it's flipped inside out. By modifying the amount of material and diameter size, a range of sounds can be produced. In that way, the surface is designed like notes on a sheet of paper- it sounds slightly different at each point. The flexible, rubber like material will be manufactured using 3D printing tools in order to guarantee precision. This flexible skin will be adhered to a perforated thin board to prevent the skin from bowing. In that way, gentle breeze or breath has the power to push an indentation, producing a pop. Noise and acoustic privacy is a constant battle in urban environments usually solved with masks (fountains or elevator music) or acoustic insulation. Lotus, on the other hand, will immerse occupants into a new, imaginative chorus of unexpected sounds with a gentle breeze of air.