Redesigning my prototype and views for its finished form

While my prototype had many issues (and broke on the way to my presentation), the general idea and functionality were somewhat there. To improve this project, I need to further design each component.

The body

To speed up the creation process and with sustainability in mind, I used a former autoharp as the main body. While I enjoyed the aesthetics of this (the new and the old combined) and thought it did function, the wood is extremely flimsy and needed reinforcements to keep it from falling apart. With this, it’s heavy, has an odd shape and is prone to dents due to the wood not being strong enough in any category. Because of this, I will have to either strengthen/reinforce the body or replace it. Because I wanted to upcycle this instrument, I don’t want to throw it away or forget about it, as that will contribute to the issue of mass disposal. While reinforcing the body will be difficult, may cause it to break in the process and may not work. I need to think about this more and see what I can do.

The motors

The motors I used for my prototype did work but were too big. Other than this, they were exactly what I wanted. I’ll keep in mind the specs of these motors and try to find smaller DC motors that are similar.

Electronics

My electronics were very rushed and were not good enough. I need to redo the entire circuit due to power distribution and usage, and also I have to solder the electronics this time. I was scared to hold a 300°C soldering iron, but I just need to get over it, I know how effective soldering is, after all. The components themselves were fine, just the wiring was not good enough.

The sliders

How the sliders are made came to me while building but were insufficient. This is mostly due to the rail board being extremely flimsy, but the sliders themselves were too inconsistent. I need a better design for the rail and slider, which doesn’t move and always applies the same pressure, maybe involving springs. Maybe I should recycle metal for the slider plate so it’s sturdy enough or just attach it to the body well enough, but if I do this, then the old body aesthetics will be hidden.

I need to think about and design this further.

The exciters

Pieces of tape on the motors were done for ease of use in the rapid prototyping process but are not good enough for the final project. I think they were too good for some bits of tape, so I think it has every characteristic of a good exciter that I need for this process. I think something rubber would be extremely useful here or something with plasticity.

Portability

Going back to the body discussion, I want this instrument to be portable. The body can’t be too large, as how are you meant to carry a piano around? While I think the instrument size currently is not bad, it could be improved. I think it’s too long to be portable, but it can’t be too short as the strings need certain lengths. I need to figure out what the lowest note I want on it is and what length I should have.

Tuners

While the tuners work and worked well for the prototype, I need something better for the final product. These tuners don’t hold the tuning well, and it’s hard to get fine-tuning done. I don’t think fine-tuning is fully needed on an instrument that uses microtones, but having it hold the tune is needed, especially with the strain the strings will be under due to the motors.

In conclusion, there’s still a lot to do, but by listing out everything that needs work, I know what needs to be improved. I will decide what I’m doing with the body first; if I’m keeping it or replacing it, if I’m modifying it or not, if I’m shortening it or keeping it the same. I must figure this out first, as everything else goes on top.