I want to build a device that transmits music, harmonics and selected frequencies into the human body.
It would be an amplifier, battery powered, have Bluetooth or wireless capabilities and also read a memory stick, and be able to output selected frequencies between 1hz and 1000hz.
Using a bone transducer and/or speaker to transmit the selected medium to a defined area of the body.
Is this possible with off the shelf components coupled together to do so?
What would I require to do this?
I know that a transducer is available and amplifier but have no idea of what else is required, or how to couple them together, can anyone help?
That transducer looks appropriate! It does have a fairly large power requirement however so you will need to match this with a suitable amplifier.
Given that transducer, I would suggest the following parts:
This amplifier will require some soldering to set up but should be capable of driving this transducer. It has a neat tutorial for use with Arduino as well which you may find useful.
Your biggest concern will most likely be how you are powering all of this. It seems like you want this to be a portable setup, do you have any limitations on how large you want the final size of this setup to be?
How to power it all I haven’t given much consideration to.
Although it would be great for it to be portable this may not be possible given your comments.
The amplifier you have noted is the one I’d thought I’d need.
How much soldering would be required to set up amplifier, it is not something I’ve done before?
The size of the setup is not so important if the transducer has long tail so it can be attached to the appropriate area, which would be the shoulder blade.
Hi William and Core
Just had a look (for interest) at that transducer. Interesting BUT looking through the text I note it says
“You can even put it against your head and play music directly into your skull (the ultimate surround sound”
That to me is not very sensible. If someone did that while it was turned up a bit and did themselves some medical damage I think the proverbial could hit the fan big time. The lawyers would make a fortune.
Cheers Bob
This is what a cochlear implant does, and the latest gaming headwear uses this to ensure the noise when playing is not heard by anyone else or neighbours… been around for a while.
They call them bone transducers although it works on all sorts of hard surfaces.
Hi William
A Cochlear implant is done under some strict medical procedures and I am quite sure they are quite safe. You could not compare that with the above statement.
Probably why a lot of “gamers” i know walk around like zombies with a phone attached which would probably require surgery to remove.
They might be devices which are designed to be effective without doing any harm to humans. Is this one you mention such a device. I think not.
Cheers Bob
The 3 pin terminal block if you are using just wires to the input
The 2 pin speaker terminal blocks for the output.
The blue thing with 3 legs is probably a volume pot. As required.
The header strip I am not sure about. Looks like that amp has some features accessible via the header connections down the side. Depends on how you are using that amp.
IMPORTANT.
While on the subject of amp output. You will only be using ONE channel of a stereo pair. While it is OK to connect the L and R inputs together for a mono signal DO NOT under any circumstances connect the speaker outputs together in any manner at all. You could get some magic smoke if you do. An analog class B amp can be connected in a “bridging” mode to only use one speaker but this class D amp cannot.
Cheers Bob
So using 2 transducers would create a stereo affect if placed on either side of the brain… sounds awesome, most of the harmonics I wish to use are in a stereo format and placing 2 transducers on my shoulder to reduce pain around nerve which is under the shoulder seems to be plausible if they’re placed top and bottom of the shoulder…
Cheers Rob
I would like to thank Samuel and Rob for their valuable input and contributions, which have been instrumental in shaping my project’s requirements.
Having found the project guide that explains assembly requirements I now have a belief I can do this myself.
My only remaining question is how to connect the Arduino UNO R4 WiFi unit to the amplifier I plan to use.
OK. Be aware that if the transducers are connected the same say blue to + and brown to - and the same input connected to both channels they will be “in phase” which means that when one is moving out (pos??? movement) the other will be moving out at the same time. This may or may not have the desired effect. I don’t know as I am not a physiotherapist or anything like that. If you decide to try this system “out of phase” just reverse the connection to ONE TRANSDUCER ONLY. NOT both or you will end up with the same situation.
Good luck, interesting project
Cheers Bob
PS: I still would not put this transducer anywhere near my head. leave that for the device designed for that job.
No movement as in normal speakers, with bone transducers it is a vibration.
Worth checking out what types of transducer units are on the market, some designed for bikers and sit inside their helmets against head etc…
And these are all designed to attach to head.
Bone transducers are also used to mend broken bones which was the original design concept.
Cheers Rob
Vibration = movement. Physics and you can’t change it.
Bone conduction headphones. This really is the first time I have heard of it. Learn something every day. I am old enough not to be too interested in gaming and heavy metal type music but I can see advantages.
Something else learned. Wow 2 things to-day doing well and thank you for the enlightenment and I mean that seriously.
I think the word “designed” is what I was getting at. I think the one you have referred to above was not “designed” to be a headphone. I tend to be cautious when it comes to medical things, especially around the brain as there is not a lot left of it these days. So until I find out differently I will continue along those lines and keep anything like THAT transducer well away from the old cranium.
In my working life I have had dealings with transducers as in marine echo sounders and the devices that keep boat hulls clean. They are all similar but obviously “designed” for a specific purpose. Ultrasonic cleaning devices would be another one. All work with “vibration” as you call it but most of these have a specific “resonant” frequency and can emit quite a lot of apparent power when you excite them at these frequencies. The ones for audio use would of course have a “flatter” response without the sharp peaks desirable in the uses I mention above.
Cheers Bob
Just bookmarked that link. Will have a more detailed look later.
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