RESONANCE CUBE

R E S O N A N C E C U B E

Inspired from the instructables webite, this resonance

cube was created as an extension to exploratory Singapore

soundscape visualization project. The cube visualizes

sound by means of multiplexing through the series of the

LEDs anodes and cathodes. Sound that have been visualized

is displayed in the front section and is then sequentially

passed to the back of the rows through a series of arrays

stored in arduino. It proves that visualizations of sound

in spaces is not restricted to either screen or print but

also through being electronically tangible.

M A T E R I A L S

- Arduino Uno - R3

- Wood

- Soldering iron

- 64 x LEDs

- Pliers

- Wires

- Wire stripper

- Perfboard

- 16 x Resistor (250 ohms)

- Steel Wire

- IC Socket

- Penknife

- Balsa Wood

- Black Paint

- Super Glue

- Black spray

- Arduino & Processing knowledge

C O L U M N S

R O W S

B A C K P A N E L

F R O N T P A N E L

R E S O N A N C E C U B E D I A G R A M S

L E D

A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor light

source. LEDs are used as indicator lamps in many devices

and are increasingly used for other lighting. Introduced

as a practical electronic component in 1962, early LEDs

emitted low-intensity red light, but modern versions are

available across the visible, ultraviolet, and infrared

wavelengths, with very high brightness.

C O L U M N S

F R O N T P A N E L

C A T H O D EA N O D E

D I A G R A M S O F A N L E D

S C H E M A T I C S

Before starting, it is important to test whether if all

the LEDs are working. This project requires a total of

64 LEDs. The schematics shows how the cube is being

constructed. A wood block was drilled 4 by 4 to be used

as a template so that the LED can be aligned nicely and

straight. Each hole is 3mm in diameter and a gap of 1.5cm

between each hole. The top layer will be the layer to

be constructed first. The cathodes are soldered next to

each other by means of bending the cathodes. A steel

wire is used to cover the end row to make the LED more

robust. The 64 LEDs are soldered in division of 16, with

4 layers. Each of the 4 layers is soldered with their

cathodes (-) contacting each other.

( + ) ( - ) ( + )

( - )

( + )

( - )

( + )

( - )

(+)

(-)

(+)

(-)

(+)

(-)

(+)

(-)(+)

(-)

(+)

(-)

(+)

(-)

(+)

(-)

(+)

(-)

(+)

(-)

(+)

(-)

(+)

(-)

(+)

(-)B E N T C A T H O D E S

S O L D E R

S T E E L W I R EI S C U T A N D S O L D E R E D T O J O I N T H E O T H E R C A T H O D E S

C A T H O D E S ( - )

A N O D E S ( + )

R E S I S T O R

B E N T A N O D E S

In order to be able to connect the anode pins to

the higher layers, anodes are bend slightly. This

allow the anodes from the bottom layer to touch

the anode above it easily. The anodes are connected

through the rows.

S O L D E R E DA N O D E S

L E D C U B E

P E R F B O A R D

R E S I S T O R

Before inserting the cube and resistor to the

board, the perfboard is sprayed black. 16 resistors

are inserted and soldered on the back of the

perfboard. The cube is then inserted and soldered.

Wires are used to connect the columns to the

resistor before going to the pins of Arduino

S O L D E R E DA N O D E S

S O L D E R E DR E S I S T O R

After soldering the anodes to the resistor, the

wire is joint to the perfboard. These technique of

circuit is called multiplexing. To on a certain

LED, the chosen row and column can be activated,

while the rest are disabled.S T E E L W I R E

P E R F B O A R D

C A T H O D E ( - )

A N O D E S ( + )

C A T H O D E S ( - )

B A C K V I E W O F P E R F B O A R D

T h e s t e e l w i r e i s s o l d e r e d t o p e r b o a r d a n d

w i r e s a r e s o l d e r e d t o t h e t h e s t e e l w i r e . A

t o t a l o f 2 0 w i r e s w i l l b e u s e d t o c o n n e c t

t h r o u g h t h e A r d u i n o P i n s .

0 1 2

P I N ST O A R D U I N OD I G I T A L

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2 1 3 0 1

P I N ST O A R D U I N O

A N A L O G

P I N ST O A R D U I N O

A N A L O G2 3 4 5

0 1 2

P I N ST O A R D U I N OD I G I T A L

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2 1 3 0 1

P I N ST O A R D U I N O

A N A L O G

P I N ST O A R D U I N O

A N A L O G2 3 4 5

A R D U I N OW i r e s f r o m t h e p e r f b o a r d a r e c o n n e c t e d t o

t h e p i n s o f A r d u i n o . F o r e a s e p u r p o s e ,

I C s o c k e t a n d p i n s w e r e u s e d b e f o r e

c o n n e c t i n g t o A r d u i n o .

01234567

891 01 11 21 3G N DA R E F

543210 A

NALOG

DIGITAL

i c s o c k e t

P R O C E S S I N G

C o d e s w e r e w r i t t e n i n P r o c e s s i n g t h a t

t r a c k s t h e f r e q u e n c i e s o f s o u n d a n d s a v e s

t h e m i n t o a n a r r a y t h a t i s a b l e t o b e

d i s p l a y e d a s a s e q u e n c e i n A r d u i n o .

A R D U I N O

T h e s a v e d o u t p u t t e x t t h a t h a s b e e n

g e n e r a t e d b y P r o c e s s i n g i s p a s t e i n t o

A r d u i n o a n d t h e n u p l o a d e d t o t h e

R e s o n a n c e C u b e .

R E S O N A N C E C U B E

F i n a l p r e v i e w o f t h e r e s o n a n c e c u b e . I t

d i s p l a y s t h e s o u n d a n d i s t h e n p a s s e d b a c k

t o t h e b a c k r o w s . A l o u d e r s p a c e w i l l s h o w

m o r e l i g h t s b e i n g o n f r o m t h e c u b e w h e r e b y a

q u i t e r s p a c e w i l l b e d i m l y l i t .

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL THE

LECTURERS OF DESIGN COMMUNICATION

TEAM IN LASALLE FOR THEIR SUPPORT

AND ADVISE, ANDREAS SCHLEGEL, JOHN

LOCKE FOR SOME AMAZING CODES, DIANA

LANGE FOR TUTORIALS AND FATHOM

COLLECTIVES FOR THEIR SUPPORT. VERY

GRATEFUL TO MANY OTHER PEOPLE WHOSE

NAMES DO NOT APPEAR IN THE CREDITS

BUT MADE SPECIFIC CONTRIBUTIONS AND

PROVIDED SUPPORT. THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO PART OF

THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE REPRODUCED,

STORED IN A RETRIEVER SYSTEM,

OR TRANSMITTEN IN ANY FORMS BY

MEANS, ELECTRONIC, MECHANICAL,

PHOTOCOPYING, RECORDING OR

OTHERWISE WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF

THE PUBLISHER.

ALL INFORMATION CORRECT AT TIME

OF PRINTING.

VISUAL RESONANCE