Sound Printer
Interactive Installation
Project Overview
Can sound be printed?
Sound Printer is an interactive installation created for a pop-up campaign at Ding’an Road Metro Station in Hangzhou. Designed in the form of a retro orange radio, the device transforms an intangible sensory experience into a tangible keepsake within a high-traffic public space.
Participants are invited to put on headphones and press the play button to begin a curated audio journey. After listening, they can press the print button, triggering the machine to slowly dispense a postcard “sealed” with that moment of sound.
Each postcard contains short, reflective text capturing fleeting emotions, everyday details, and quiet expectations of life. The installation bridges sound and materiality, turning a transient auditory experience into something visitors can hold and take away.
Scope of Work
Our team was responsible for the complete realisation of the installation, including:
Concept development
Interaction design
Hardware system design
Mechanical prototyping
Fabrication and on-site installation
From initial brief to final deployment, the entire project was completed within three weeks.
System Structure
The installation consisted of two logically independent yet integrated modules:
Audio Module
Randomised thematic music playback
Play and pause control
Headphone-based private listening experience
Printing Module
Custom postcard dispensing mechanism
Single-sheet output control
Real-time status indicator lighting
Three physical buttons were designed for intuitive public interaction:
Print | Play | Pause
Indicator lights communicated the device's operational status, ensuring clarity in a busy subway environment.
Technical Challenge
The primary technical challenge was the postcard output mechanism.
Standard office inkjet printers were unsuitable because their paper-feeding systems involve internal flipping that conflicted with our structural requirements. To develop a stable solution, we studied the mechanics of both A4 printers and automated card-shuffling machines.
By combining principles from these systems, we designed and prototyped a customised paper delivery mechanism for postcard-sized outputs. Multiple rounds of testing and refinement ensured smooth, reliable dispensing in a high-frequency public setting.
Outcome
The installation was successfully exhibited at Ding’an Road Metro Station in Hangzhou, attracting public engagement and positive feedback.
By converting sound into a physical artefact, Sound Printer created a memorable interaction within a transient urban environment. The project demonstrates our capability to integrate concept, hardware engineering, and interaction design under a compressed timeline, delivering a refined experiential installation in a public commercial space.