Final Report

E190F, Engineering Design & Invention Team Members: Emily Kim, Ramita Kondepudi, Richard Liu, Enoch Yeo

Faculty Liaison: Okitsugu Furuya December 10, 2016

Abstract 2

Introduction 2

Problem Statement 2

Background 2 Product Specifications 2 Product Description 3 Functionalities 4 Existing Products and Patents 5 Potential Product Improvements 7

Testing 7 Reverse Engineering 7 Preliminary Testing 8

Design Alternatives 10 Design 1 10 Design 2 10 Design 3 11 Design 4 12 Design 5 13 Design 6 14

Design 6a 14 Design 6b 14 Design 6c 14 Design 6d 15

Future Work 15 Product Recommendations 15 Marketing Recommendations 16

Conclusions 16

Acknowledgments 16

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Abstract The E190F Neckspeaker team was assigned to improve sound quantity and create new designs based on Nippon Antenna’s current Neckspeaker model. After looking into product specifications and current market options, the team reverse engineered and tested the Neckspeaker in different test scenarios to check for increased sound quantity. From this data, the team recommended changes in the design and marketing of the product.

Introduction Nippon Antenna’s Neckspeaker model SPB01 series goes beyond conventional audio market options. While most major audio companies offer products like wireless headphones and wireless speakers, Nippon Antenna aims to combine components of traditional sound systems to provide users a unique, immersive listening experience.

Problem Statement Nippon Antenna has created a speaker that can be worn around the neck. The team has been assigned to improve the user experience of sound quantity and increase the marketability with different designs. In this report, we define sound quantity as the loudness of sound experienced by the user from the product.

Background This following section describes the basics of the Neckspeaker and its functions. Existing products are also listed for comparison. Product Specifications The Neckspeaker holds many traditional speaker components essential to satisfactory sound transmittance and quantity. These include grilles, ports, and a mass damper system. See Fig. 1.

Fig. 1. Labeled figure of speakers

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Product Description The two speakers on both sides of the product are covered by grilles, which allow sound transmittance while protecting the internal components of the speaker (see Fig. 2). Two rectangular, windowed ports on either side of the product (see Fig. 3) are not directly connected to the speaker. These help produce bass reflex, a phenomenon that improves the system’s efficiency at low frequencies, also known as lower pitch. A mass damper system absorbs vibrations, preventing the entire system from vibrating and protecting the other components from damage (see Fig. 4).

Fig. 2: The Neckspeaker’s grille protecting the internal components of the speakers.

Fig. 3: One of the rectangular ports that ensures the Neckspeaker has bass reflex. The object

shown on the right is the mass damper that is lodged into this rectangular port.

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Fig. 4: Speaker head cut open with mass damper cut out.

Functionalities The functionalities of this product are listed as follows:

- Phone holder. Sliding a phone into the ridges shown in Fig. 5 below creates a mini-theater system for watching multimedia.

- Bluetooth (v4.0) speakers. Linked via Bluetooth. A successful connection is indicated with a green LED.

- Auxiliary port. Provides the option for using earphones. - Near Field Communication (NFC). Capable of connecting with NFC products. - Micro USB-B port. For charging the product (see Fig. 6 below). - Microphone. Used for voice commands with Bluetooth, for example, in phone calls. - Folding functionality. Allows for compactness and portability.

Fig. 5: Phone holding functionality.

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Fig. 6: From left to right, ridge for holding phone, on/off switch, microphone, AUX port, LED

light, and USB port.

Fig. 7: Folding functionality for portability.

Existing Products and Patents In terms of design similarity, a number of products in the market compete with the Neckspeaker. QuietControl 30 earphones from Bose (see Fig. 8 below) implement a similar neckband design 1

with a Bluetooth connection that keeps wires out of the way. Although the product from Bose is a set of earphones while Neckspeaker is a set of speakers, Bose’s product has a more sleek, lightweight design – areas which the Neckspeaker could improve on. Another point of difference is the materials used. The Neckspeaker has silicone material that comes in contact with the skin when the product is worn. As will be mentioned again, this

1 "Bose QuietControl 30 Wireless Headphones." Bose. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2016. <https://www.bose.com/en_us/products/headphones/earphones/quietcontrol-30.html#v=qc30_black>.

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silicone material leads to discomfort. The Neckspeaker would be more comfortable to wear if it used a uniform, plastic material like the one in the QuietControl 30. Note, however, that the pricing between these two products is drastically different. The QuietControl 30 earphones are priced at around $300, probably due to its noise cancelling technology, while the Neckspeaker goes for around $100. Although they are priced very differently, this comparison serves to point out the possible design improvements with the Neckspeaker.

Fig. 8: QuietControl 30 earphones by Bose

The Wave speakers from GoLife , priced at around $100, boasts a bendable, IP54 water-resistant 2

design, both features that the Neckspeaker does not have. Implementing a waterproof or water resistant design would keep the product functional and durable when the product is worn in rainy or snowy weather. The waterproof material used here seems to be silicone material. However, rather than using this same material, future designs for the Neckspeaker should use skins, such as matte. The reuse of silicone in future Neckspeaker designs is not advised, since it causes discomfort when the sticky texture of silicone comes in contact with the user’s neck.

Fig. 9: Wave Speakers by GoLife

2 "GOLiFE WAVE Wireless Bendable Bluetooth Stereo Speaker." Amazon. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2016. <https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K1C8PZ8?m=A6MTFO3Q1XU0L&ref_=v_sp_detail_page>.

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Potential Product Improvements While Nippon Antenna’s Neckspeaker is a competitive product in the audio system market, there are several potential improvements that can be made. The team investigated user issues with the current product in several ways, including Prof. Furuya’s recommendations as conveyed by the Nippon Antenna liaison, the team’s own individual observations, and online reviews of the product. The original project assignment primarily focused on the improvement of the Neckspeaker’s sound quantity, particularly in noisy environments while moving. The team’s preliminary testing included a qualitative assessment of the Neckspeaker’s audio output. This involved biking, long-boarding, and walking along busy Foothill Blvd, at around 3 pm. After being passed by several buses and large vehicles, the team concluded that indeed there was room for improvement, particularly in sound quantity reaching the ears in such hectic, noisy environments. After team members tried out the product, it was found that the weight and neck support material were uncomfortable. Currently, the neck support arch is composed of silicone based material that rubs against the skin. While this makes for a water resistant product, it can irritate user’s skin. Thus, the team aimed to look into more comfortable, weatherproof material that can withstand variable weather as well as keep the user satisfied. It was also found that the hands-free functionality and the single angle at which the phone could be used at was limiting. The report suggests a number of additional features in the Future Works section. Research included checking online reviews for Nippon’s Neckspeaker as well as similar products, such as those mentioned in the Current Market report section above. Complaints included the discomfort of the non-adjustable neck support arch for different neck sizes. 3

Testing The team used reverse engineering and numerical testing to determine the sound quantity detected from the product.

Reverse Engineering The team decided to take apart the speaker by reverse engineering in order to see what the internal structure was like. There were no metric-based screwdrivers that fit on the screws of the product, so the team sawed the speaker-end part of the product. Fig.3 shows the resulting parts from the reverse engineering process. On the right, the speaker is attached to the grill cover through which the sound projects outward. The rectangular hole in the middle is where the mass-damper system is – disk-shaped mass attached to rubber that connects to the plastic structure on two long sides of the rectangular hole – to enhance low frequency sounds from the

3 "Wireless Bluetooth V4.0 Speakers With Stand for Smartphone" Amazon. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2016. <https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Bluetooth-Speakers-Smartphone-Meidong/dp/B01J4XC4D4/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481405021&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=neckspeaker>

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speaker, ultimately increasing the bass. In the space between the casing and the mass-damper system in the middle, there is an NFC card. On the right of the hole, there is circuitry that connects to the two speakers with wires, which are connected to an on/off switch.

Fig. 10: Reverse engineered product

Preliminary Testing The team tested the speakers’ sound quantity levels in Harvey Mudd’s Writing Center with a sound level meter app found on smartphones. Sound level as a function of horizontal distance from the speaker and the vertical height from the speakers was measured. These two measurements provide the angle of attack (see Fig. 11).

Fig. 11: 90˚ tilt

For the benchmarks, the team used a vertical height of 16cm, which mimics the vertical distance between the ear and the speakers. To have an idea of the sound dissipation with respect to distance, the team varied the horizontal distance to see the change in sound quantity. Speakers were played at full volume with a constant sound for all tests. The results are shown below in Table 1.

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Trial Vertical height (cm) Average Sound

Pressure (dB)

1 16 72

2 16 71

3 16 72

4 16 73

5 16 73

6 16 73

7 16 73

8 16 73

9 16 73

10 16 75

11 16 74

Average 16 72.9

Table 1. Benchmarks for sound quantity. The speakers were then rotated by 90˚, pointing them towards the ears to compare the improvements with the benchmarks determined earlier. Results are shown in Table 2. The team saw improvements in the sound quantity.

Vertical height (cm) Average Sound Pressure (dB) Average Improvement (dB)

16 78.5 +5.6

7 83.3 +10.4

Table 2. Test results that help create design alternatives 1 through 5.

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Design Alternatives Given the issues highlighted by the client and in the problem statement, the team considered two possible solution spaces: those similar to the current product and those merging fashion and functionality. Design 1 The existing product is designed such that the speaker components are at a minimum of 16 inches away from the user’s ear. They also face away from the user, resulting in sound quantity lower than the speakers’ maximum capabilities. Thus, our team suggests altering the existing design to have a hinge mechanism to the speaker components. With two orientations possible, the 180° and 90°, the user would be able to choose the speaker angle that would suit them best. This ensures that their listening experience provides them a personalized, comfortable sound quality and quantity.

Fig. 12: Sketch of design alternative 1

Design 2 The current design consists of two speakers that point away from the ears. The two speakers are connected on each side of the neck support, with an opening in the front where users can put their neck through and hang the product around their neck. The team suggests a design that builds on the current one. Instead of having an opening, it would be connected in the front part as well so that it would have a form of a necklace. The orientation of the speaker would point up towards the ear instead of away from the ear and with more space in the front of the neck, it would be able to hold more speakers that points up. Ideally, there would be up to four speakers total in this design. The internal arrangement of parts such as the circuitry and the mass-damper system would be easier since there would be more space as seen in Fig. 13. The design consists of an attachment mechanism that would use either a latch or velcro so that the user can put on and remove the speaker.

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Fig. 13: Sketch of design alternative 2

Design 3 Design 3 keeps the phone-holding functionality while increasing the quantity of sound traveling directly to the ears. Keeping this goal in mind, this design alternative transitions between two different states, one state that allows the use of the phone-holding functionality and another state that increases sound quantity. For the sake of explanation, a compass (see Fig. 14 below) will be used to refer to the orientation of the speakers and the direction sound travels. When the speaker is in the West orientation, this is no different than the current product. Like in the original product, Design 3 has a separate compartment housing the circuitry and another compartment housing the speaker (see Fig. 14 below). The speaker itself would be attached with an adhesive to a spherical ball that can rotate the speaker in the West (Fig. 14a) and North (Fig. 14c) orientations. This ball and the speaker would be housed inside an impediment cube (Fig. 14d). Also note that the spherical ball would be held in its position with an axle that is threaded through the cube and ball. Due to gravity, the speaker would naturally want to fall down to the South orientation when it is pointing West or North. To prevent this, there would be a little stub attached to the spherical ball such that when the stub comes in contact with the impediment cube, this would prevent the speakers from pointing South. The first state is shown in Fig. 14a below, where the speakers are pointed in the West orientation, just like in the original product. Design 3 would transition to state two (Fig. 14c) with the use of knobs, which are attached to an axle. Rotating these knobs in a clockwise direction would rotate the axle, which in turn, would rotate the speakers between the West and North orientations. On a final note, Design 3 requires that the metal grilles that is already existent in the product be extended to the top of the speaker so that sound can travel in the North direction, up to the ears – this would drastically improve the sound quantity perceived by the ear.

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Fig. 14: Sketch of design alternative 3. (a) Top left shows a top-down view, (b) top right shows

the speaker in its original orientation pointing West, (c) bottom left shows the speaker in its rotated orientation pointing North, and (d) bottom right shows the impediment cube without the

speaker and spherical ball placed inside.

Design 4 This design is similar to Design 3 because it has the same goal in mind– to keep the phone-holding functionality while increasing the sound quantity perceived by the ears. Design 4 would transition between two states with the turn of a knob, like in Design 3. In the first state, the speaker points in the West direction (Fig. 15b), which allows the use of the phone-holding functionality, and in the second state, the speaker points in the North direction (Fig. 15a), which allows the sound to travel directly to the ears. As the speakers would be rotated from a West to North orientation, valves would open up above the speaker, allowing the cubical speaker that is surrounded entirely by metal grilles (like a microphone) to emerge from the casing of the product.

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Fig. 15: Sketch of design alternative 4. (a) Top right shows the speaker in its North orientation

with open valves, (b) top left shows the speaker in its West orientation with closed valves. Design 5 This design alternative is credited to Professor Furuya. Speakers are extended from the original location through a tube that is pointing towards the ears. This design makes the improvements based on the conclusions from the test results. A depiction can be seen in Figure 16. Design 5 has many benefits, such as bringing the speakers closer to the ears. The design is not vastly different from the existing Neckspeaker design, and all existing features can be kept. With the extra space, more speakers can be placed in the front to play music. A user may still place a phone between the speakers, watch a movie, and have the audio play towards the user’s ear. Even though Design 5 solves the sound quantity issue, its new shape may be more inconvenient to the user. For example, the extensions cause the speaker to take up more space, implying the speakers would be heavier and harder to store. A new folding mechanism would be needed to consolidate the product size.

Fig. 16: Sketch of design alternative 5

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Design 6 The following set of designs is created from a union of functionality and fashion. Given the unconventional look of the current Neckspeaker design, the team also considered approaching the problem statement creatively. Looking beyond current product specifications, the following designs aim to be more visually appealing so that customers would be willing to wear the product in public. With this direction, the team hopes that the product would reach a larger market. See Fig. 17a through 17d for sketches of each of the design alternatives that fall under this category. Design 6a A speaker earring would include a grille housing a speaker inside, with varying sizes to ensure that sound quantity is up to users’ standards. In future iterations of this design, the weight of the speaker earring should be a consideration when developing the product.

Fig. 17a: Sketch of design alternative 6a

Design 6b This design alternative includes multiple speakers embedded into a belt. Sound quantity problems may be greater since the distance to the ears is increased for this product. Nevertheless, for a customer who is looking for a discreet but unique, unconventional audio system experience, this may be a design to consider.

Fig. 17b: Sketch of design alternative 6b

Design 6c Speakers embedded into a headband would allow sound to travel quickly to the ears, with an ear to speaker distance less than that of the current Neckspeaker. This would be ideal for hands-free listening, perhaps while traveling. Since the product is disguised as a headband, users may be less conscious of it. However, the functionality of original products has to remain intact,

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regardless of the speakers. For example, if the headband is worn under a helmet, safety should not be compromised.

Fig. 17c: Sketch of design alternative 6c

Design 6d Speakers embedded into a cap would provide another form of discreet listening for the user. With the speakers very close to the user’s ear, sound quantity may not be a problem. Circuitry and wiring would all be concealed within the cap material.

Fig. 17d: Sketch of design alternative 6d

Future Work The team provides suggestions for future work, if more time is allocated to improve the Neckspeaker. Product Recommendations The team has compiled a list of potential improvements that may better the product. Weatherproofing. The current Neckspeaker design has many ports, some of which are directly exposed to weather elements. For example, the auxiliary port has no covers, meaning that water can damage the product. Since speaker grilles already have pores, it may be difficult to redesign the product to be weatherproof. For this reason, the team recommends making the product more weatherproof by protecting various ports from water, such as light rain. Material selection. The team believes that the silicone material behind the neck is uncomfortable when wearing for extended amounts of time. The team recommends a different material choice, such as one that is padded cloth or matte plastic.

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More speakers. In general, the team believes that placing more speakers would be able to increase the sound quantity output by the speakers. With some of the designs, extra space can be made to place more speakers. Higher quality speakers. The team recommends placing higher quality speakers that produce higher quality audio. The team believes that bass sounds may be improved. Marketing Recommendations The team has created a list that may the product more marketable. New name, Nisonic. The team believes that Neckspeaker is not an appealing name and recommends a name change. Nisonic is a fusion of Nippon and Sonic, where sonic means sound. More suppliers on Amazon. Since Amazon is a very popular shopping site in the United States, the team recommends selling the speaker to more suppliers that are on Amazon. Increased product marketing in other countries. There is no English manual for the Neckspeaker, and the team recommends internationalizing the product by translating the product for localization.

Conclusions Through this analysis, the team has determined that the sound quantity can be increased by tilting the speakers by 90˚ and/or increasing the number of speakers. The team created several novel design alternatives that may improve the product. The team also has various recommendations that can improve the product and expose the product to a larger market.

Acknowledgments The team would like to acknowledge the following individuals and groups for their contribution to the team’s progress:

● Prof. Okitsugu Furuya ● Prof. Matthew Spencer ● Harvey Mudd College Machine Shop ● Harvey Mudd College Makerspace ● Nippon Antenna

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