Ski-Mounted Audio System for Balance and Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Downhill skiing enthusiasts face challenges with earbuds or headphones, including difficulty in locating fallen earpieces in snow, tangled wires, and impaired communication with companions due to in-ear audio devices.
Innovation Solution
A mobile downhill snow ski sound system that positions wireless speakers on the ski-board or bindings, allowing for communication while skiing and maintaining balance, using mounts and straps to secure speakers without altering the ski-board's performance characteristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If earbuds or earphones are worn to listen to music while skiing, then audio entertainment is provided, but communication with ski companions becomes difficult and earpieces are hard to locate if lost in snow
Solution Approach 1:
The audio device is extracted from the ear (earbuds/earphones) and relocated to the ski-board or bindings. This removes the obstruction from the ear canal, restoring natural hearing and communication capability while maintaining audio entertainment through speakers positioned on the ski equipment.
2Loss of information
If wireless speakers are positioned on the ski-board, then communication and audio entertainment are improved, but the weight and balance of the ski-board may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The speakers are positioned locally on the ski-board or bindings in strategic locations that provide audio coverage while minimizing impact on overall balance. The weight is distributed across multiple mounting points rather than concentrated in one location, reducing the perceptual impact on the skier.
3Loss of information
If speakers are positioned away from the ears on the ski-board, then communication with companions is facilitated, but the sound quality and volume may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple speakers are combined and distributed across the ski-board and bindings to create a surround sound effect. This array of speakers compensates for the distance from the ear by providing sound from multiple directions, maintaining audio intensity and quality while enabling communication.
Data Source
AI summary
A downhill snow ski sound system comprises a speaker coupled to a binding of a snowboard or ski. An orifice is located at a perimeter of the binding and a strap is coupled to and extends from the orifice. The speaker is releasably coupled to the binding by the strap. The speaker is positioned adjacent the binding with less than an inch between the speaker and the binding. The speaker is also positioned directly on and contacting the ski-board.