MIT Researchers Develop Flexible, Thin-Film Loudspeaker

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed an ultra-thin loudspeaker that can turn any rigid surface into an active audio source. To demonstrate the concept, MIT engineers have developed a paper-thin loudspeaker, which was now presented in public, pitching a straightforward fabrication process that could be introduced to enable the flexible, thin-film solution to be produced at scale.

Lightweight and flexible, piezoelectric film transducers can serve as highly reliable low-cost alternatives to more expensive speakers, headphones, microphones, and even musical instrument sound pickups. This second article about the technology focuses precisely on the many other successful applications of this technology. We can only hope that this article will serve as a reintroduction to the technology. This article was originally published in audioXpress May 2013.

This article explores Polyvinylidene Fluoride Film (PVDF), a piezoelectric polymer used in various transducers for headphones, microphones and loudspeakers. It seems that the audio engineering community at large is either not familiar with PVDF film or misunderstands PVDF piezoelectric film technology. Hopefully, this article will serve as an introduction (or reintroduction) to the technology. This article was originally published in audioXpress April 2013.