Madsounds

Every object and surface in our environment has a whisper; subtle tremors and vibrations that are usually undetectable to the human ear, produced by the activity and movement of daily life.

Duncan Wilson (in a collaboration with Manolis Kelaidis of IDE at the Royal College of Art.) designed OTTO (Greek for ‘ear’); a device that makes hidden sounds audible.

This is achieved via a thin polymer piezoelectric contact that senses weak vibrations and plays them as a sound through an integrated speaker. OTTO can be positioned on almost any surface through a combination of suction and magnets. By placing several units on different objects, one can select and create a new sonic experience and a form of ambient music appreciation, thereby utilising our space as a multidirectional audio platform.

See also portfolio details and project blog.
Found on Architectradure.