A fun trio of air pumps producing a chorus of sounds.
By Team Pink
CMYKiosk is developed by:
Micah Berger, Architecture
Zoe Flynn, Architecture
Janelle Johnson, Graphic Design
Cameron Jung, Graphic Design
The Exposition
The three kiosks produce sounds through a series of designed action and reaction mechanisms. First, the instrumentalist pushes a square bellow that forces the air through a focused 3D-printed nozzle. The airflow activates a small anemometer, or a wind gauge, that senses the speed of the wind. As the speed increases, the pitch gets higher, and as the anemometer slows back down, the pitch lowers until it comes to a full stop. Each kiosk is programmed to emit a distinctive range of musical notes harmonizing in a choir.
The Dénouement: Final Instrument Image and Video Gallery
ACT 1: Sketching, Ideation, & Collection
Our initial idea came from imagining large-scale instruments and turning them into sketches based on experimental sound machines that piqued our interest. A common goal of our group was to develop an interactive instrument powered by the movement of air.
This was the sketch that motivated the development of our prototypes.
The first idea we chose to develop was a bagpipe seesaw. Due to concerns over functionality and safety, we progressed through several iterations that resulted in the bellow instrument.
We developed the process to construct the bellow onto a podium base that made the bellow easier to play.
The first phase of the bellow instrument had air pushed through a pipe, similar to an organ.
ACT 2: Early Prototypes
Continuing our narrative to use airflow to produce resonating sounds, our next series of prototypes focused on whistles. The whistle was attached to the bellow device and produced short bursts of sound.
We developed a wood pipe and whistle similar to an organ, in addition to a podium for the bellow. After a series of tests, we 3D printed the whistle part of the pipe to produce a more consistent sound.
We tested to see how a fireplace bellow works and tried to make the design similar to the box bellow.
ACT 3: Production Process
The components of the kiosk devices primarily used the Woodshop facilities to construct the stands and the bellow boxes. The square bellows themselves were hand-fabricated in our studio based on research.
As two members were working on the final podiums or kiosks, two were constructing the bellows. The image on the top left shows what the inside of a bellow looked like before it folded and attached together. The legs had grooves for the shelves to sit in for stability. The legs also acted as a guide for the bellows, so they went straight up and down.
Final touches included painting and adding tops on the kiosks so the bellow stays inside.