Pondering the power to produce sound and the power to produce movement

Overview

What connects the two Yamahas

In this thought experiment-style design project, designers from Yamaha and Yamaha Motor collaborated on a common theme: “Untitled Instrument (Undefined Tool).”
Although most of the tools we use in daily life have defined roles, children do not necessarily perceive them that way. Consider that wooden blocks become building blocks when stacked, and percussion instruments when struck against each other. This suggests that the role of a tool depends on the user’s imagination. You could even say that a tool’s role is not defined until it is used. In this project, we drew inspiration from this type of free thinking and explored a vision for tools without a predetermined purpose.
What caught our attention was air, a common element to both Yamahas. Musical instruments use vibrations in the air to produce sound, while motor vehicles convert air pressure and flow into motive power. Although air is involved in each case, the experiences offered by each are completely different.
This work was designed to be a tool that encapsulates multiple roles with air as the medium. Changing the flow of air to which the work is exposed can produce sound or spin the propeller to generate movement. There is no single correct way to use the work; the user is free to find enjoyment in the sound, the movement, or both.
Our creation is neither a musical instrument nor a motor vehicle, although it can be both sometimes. This exploration of the potential of a tool before naming its uses is an attempt to reexamine the way we define tools.

Untitled Instrument

The principle of sound is the phenomenon of waves, in which the vibration of matter is transmitted through the medium of air. By properly controlling the flow of air, a pleasant musical scale can be produced. On the other hand, the engine of a motorcycle, which is the heart of the vehicle, also appears to be a complex mechanism at first glance, but its driving force can be described as air compression. Air is efficiently compressed, and with the help of gasoline combustion, the force of the air pressure is converted into the reciprocating motion of the piston. This motion is converted into rotational motion through the chassis. And furthermore, it generates propulsive force by spinning the crank and the tires.

Although the driving force—air—is the same, the manner in which it is converted into energy produces completely different results. Converting air into energy that produces physical vibration turns the tool into something that emits sound like a musical instrument, while converting it into propulsive force turns it into something like a vehicle. Although the source—air—is the same, the role of this tool changes dramatically depending upon how it is used. In this respect, it appears to symbolize the common origins of the two Yamahas, which were once a single company.

To use it, first push the air pump attached to the upper side of the main unit several times to accumulate air in the air tank located on the side. Then, by twisting the valve in the center of the main unit and opening the air passage of the transparent tube in a certain direction, air is immediately released from the compression tank in the direction where the valve is opened. The released air pressure is used to generate sound as the air flowing into the trumpet-shaped tube is used to generate energy to vibrate the harmonica reeds attached to the inside of the trumpet. The air flowing into the other tube, to which the propeller is attached, is converted into the reciprocating motion of the piston, which rotates the crank and produces propulsive force.

By controlling the flow of air, it becomes a tool that plays completely different roles, such as making sound and moving forward, encouraging a free play style that is not limited to one or the other.

Designer: Kazuya Washio/Yamaha Design Laboratory, Etsuto Mimasu/YAMAHA MOTOR DESIGN

Process

We developed this idea while moving back and forth between sketches and three-dimensional prototypes. We used 3D-printed prototypes to verify the feasibility of the structure and mechanisms, and then actually designed the reed mechanism for producing sound and the gearing system for driving the propeller. Rather than allowing the concept to remain a fantasy, we revisited the ideas again and again to bring to reality something that could fully function as an actual tool.