World's First Rubber Speaker - No Bass Compromised

The Japanese engineers are at it again, shelling out another world's first. The Tokai Rubber Industries have demonstrated the world's first all rubber speaker. It uses a special type of rubber called 'Smart Rubber' that conducts electricity and can expand and contract to generate the sound waves. The company had earlier launched rubber touch sensors enabling the company to launch a new development line viz. materials for artificial muscles.



Until now, the speakers were all piezoelectric and film types but they were unable to produce lower frequencies. But the new rubber speakers are able to produce lower frequencies as well. Tokai calls it one of its kind. The setup consists of two rubber electrodes sandwiching a non-conductive rubber. When sufficient voltage is applied across the conducting rubber electrodes, static electricity is produced causing the non conductive rubber sheet to expand. Sound waves can thus be produced through repeated expansion and contraction of the rubber sheet.

The newly developed technology allows rubber electrodes to have a static charge over the surface. In addition, the insulating rubber sheet shouldn't change its resistance when its expanded. Tokai does not have a clear roadmap for their new product. They're however conducting surveys and talking to potential customers for their new product. We've a video to demonstrate the technology.

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