Stringless Acoustic Instrument Actuator Excitation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional acoustic musical instruments, such as pianos, suffer from high cost, weight, size, frequent tuning requirements, and maintenance needs, with sound production dependent on climatic conditions and room geometry.
Innovation Solution
A stringless acoustic musical instrument that uses a sounding board excited by actuators instead of strings, with a processing unit calculating the amplitude and phase of oscillations to generate control signals for the actuators, allowing for high-quality sound production across a wider dynamic range.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional stringed instruments are used, then acoustic sound production is achieved, but the instruments require frequent tuning and periodic maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the strings from the musical instrument system entirely, extracting the problematic mechanical vibration source that requires tuning and maintenance. The sound production function is transferred to electronic actuators that directly vibrate the sounding board, eliminating the need for string tuning and associated maintenance while preserving the acoustic sound generation capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical string vibration system with an electronic actuation system. Digital actuators controlled by a processing unit substitute for the mechanical strings, enabling precise control of vibration parameters without the wear, tension changes, and tuning requirements inherent in mechanical string systems
2Power
If acoustic systems based on loudspeakers are used for sound reproduction, then sound field generation is achieved, but the dynamic range is significantly narrower than that of a piano
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a processing unit as an intermediary between the digital control signals and the actuators. This processing unit calculates the appropriate amplitude and phase for each actuator based on the desired musical sound, enabling the system to achieve the wide dynamic range of a piano by digitally controlling multiple actuators that directly excite the sounding board, rather than using traditional loudspeaker acoustic systems
3Power
If conventional pianos are used, then musical sound production is achieved, but the instruments have enormous weight and large size
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the heavy mechanical components of conventional pianos, particularly the string tension system, hammer mechanism, and large rigid frame required to support strings. By replacing these with lightweight actuators and a simplified support structure, the instrument maintains its sound production capability while dramatically reducing weight and size
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The instrument produces a high-quality sound with a wider dynamic range compared to conventional stringed instruments, eliminating the need for frequent tuning and maintenance, and providing a more realistic sound experience.
Implementation Method 1
The actuators are configured to cause the sounding board to perform oscillations that reproduce a musical sound of interest
Data Source
AI summary
An acoustic musical instrument is provided, in which a sounding board is excited by at least three actuators instead of strings to produce a musical sound of interest. The actuators are attached to the sounding board at least three user-defined attachment points and configured to cause the sounding board to perform oscillations that reproduce the musical sound of interest. The actuators are controlled by using control signals which are generated based on input information about the musical sound of interest. More specifically, the control signal for each actuator causes the actuator to exert an excitation force on the sounding board that corresponds to a required oscillation amplitude and phase at the user-defined attachment point of the actuator.