Project

# Title Team Members TA Documents Sponsor
8 Portable In-line Audio Equalizer
 Ankit Jayant
Avinash Subramaniam
Ji Yeon In
 Prashant Shankar appendix2.zip
design_document1.pdf
design_document2.pdf
final_paper1.pdf
photo1.png
presentation1.pdf
proposal1.pdf
Ankit Jayant (ajayant2) , Avinash Subramaniam (avinash6) , Ji Yeon In (jiyeoni2)

**Problem** There are people that want to listen to various audio, such as music or video, at a different equalization than what is currently given. This may especially be the case if they have hearing loss at certain frequencies. It can also be bothersome to download potentially different equalization apps on different devices or run into situations where an app may not even be available on the device.

**Solution Overview** A singular device will be created to achieve the necessary equalization. The device will allow a listening device (e.g. headphones) in a combination with any of the audio playing devices (e.g. laptops, phones, MP3 players, etc.) to achieve the equalization necessary.

Our device will be powered by batteries. It will have one 3.5mm headphone jack that is able to transmit our augmented audio data and one 3.5mm headphone connector capable of receiving audio data for interpretation. The device will need a headphone driver so it is able to interpret the raw data coming from the device.

The device will have two main subsystems. One subsystem involves the selection of an equalization level and the other subsystem involves the manipulation of audio going from the audio playing device (e.g. phone) to the listening device (e.g. headphones).

**Solution Components**

- Subsystem 1: The audio subsystem is responsible for enacting whatever equalization the user selects. A microcontroller will be used in order to do this through filtering. Additionally, there will be an audio codec to process the audio data that is received and transmitted through the 3.5 mm ports.

- Subsystem 2: The control system will be connected to the microcontroller. This will consist of a PCB that has options for user control, like toggles and buttons. There will also be an LCD screen which allows the user to view their control options and how their inputs are affecting the audio output with low latency. For example, a user may select a bass heavy audio option through a control unit and it will be reflected in the audio device with low response time.

**Criterion for Success**

- The device is able to accurately change the desired levels of frequency.
- The device is portable.
- The device should be able to be used by a user without an electrical or computer engineering background. Being able to control which equalization setting the device is on is simple.
- The device is compatible with any device transmitting audio through a 3.5 mm jack.

The Marching Band Assistant

Wynter Chen, Alyssa Louise Licudine, Prashant Shankar

The Marching Band Assistant

Featured Project

NetID/Names

wynterc2 (Wynter Chen), alyssal3 (Alyssa Licudine), shankar7 (Prashant Shankar)

Problem

Drum majors lead and conduct marching bands. One of their main jobs is to maintain tempo for the musicians by moving their hands in specific patterns. However, many drum majors, especially high school students, need to learn how to conduct specific tempos off the top of their head and maintain a consistent tempo without assistance for performances. Even those with musical experience have difficulty knowing for certain what tempo they're conducting without a metronome.

Solution Overview

Our project consists of an arm attachment that aids drum major conducting. The attachment contains an accelerometer that helps determine the tempo in beats per minute via hand movement. A display shows the beats per minute, which allows the drum major to adjust their speed as necessary in real time. The microcontroller data is wirelessly transmitted, and a program can be downloaded that not only visualizes the data in real-time, but provides an option to save recorded data for later. There is also a convenient charging port for the device.

This project is a unique invention that aims to help marching bands. There have been previous projects and inventions that have also digitized the conducting experience, such as the Digital Conducting Baton from Spring 2015. However, these have been in the form of a baton rather than a glove, and are used to alter music files as opposed to providing feedback. Additionally, orchestra conductors use very delicate motions with a baton, while drum majors create large, sharper motions with their arms; thus, we believed that an arm attachment was better suited for marching band usage. Unlike other applications that only integrate digital instruments, this project seeks to assist live performers.

Link to RFA: https://courses.grainger.illinois.edu/ece445/pace/view-topic.asp?id=37939

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