Interactive Science Exhibits and Public Art

Cooperative Phonograph




The Cooperative Phonograph uses Thomas Edison's forgotten audio technology from 1877 in an all-new type of sculpted experience which is regarded as magic by the current generation of digital natives. 

A business card is made to vibrate like a speaker when users scrape their business cards along surfaces textured with vocal sound wave recordings. 


One person spins huge record disc to maintain the rotation frequency (musical pitch), while another person holds the sound wave scraper and varies the amplitude (volume) of the musical experience. This shared-control interface encourages users to cooperate, and interact with each other.