Speaker system lets flowers sing

An audio technology that turns plants and flowers into loudspeakers has been developed in Japan, although some experts remain sceptical about the idea.

The speaker system, designed by Let's Corporation, a technology firm based in Okayama, southern Japan, mimics the way conventional audio speakers work. But it uses flowers instead of the conventionally used cone made of paper, plastic or metal, to generate sound waves.

Flowers are inserted into an acrylic tube containing a magnetic coil and an oscillating component. Applying an alternating electrical current causes the tube, and the flowers, to vibrate at high speed, producing audible sound.

Let's has not released any information on the performance of the system but says it can be used to reproduce audio from a CD or the radio. "We have added the fifth and final sense, sound, to the four senses already expressed by flowers - colour, scent, taste, and touch," the company said when launching the technology.

Hirohiko Okugawa, a manager at Let's told Reuters that flower speakers could be used, "anywhere where you would want music naturally integrated with a natural surrounding".

Floral display

	Subscribe to New Scientist for more news and features
	Related Stories   Single speaker unit creates surround sound 12 November 2003   Collapsible cardboard speakers unveiled 13 February 2002   Inflatable loudspeakers could blow out roadies 10 October 2001     For more related stories search the print edition Archive     Weblinks   Let's Corporation   Audiolab, University of Waterloo

The system is designed for use in stores, as part of a floral display, for example. The company says it also plans to develop versions that include a self-contained FM radio and power source. Let's says it will sell different sized units for between 5,000 yen ($46) to 50,000 yen ($460).

However, some experts doubt that the system would work well in practice. Stanley Lipshitz, an audio researcher at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, says speakers normally vibrate rigid material, so using something flexible like a plant would be far less effective.

"Clearly, if you vibrate something at an audio frequency, you will get a sound," he told New Scientist. "So I have no doubt it would make some sort of sound. But I don't how good it would be."

However, Lipshitz suggests the system could perhaps be used to let people carry out a conversation with their favourite flora. "A lot of people like to talk to their plants so maybe you could write some software to finally let them do that," he says.

Will Knight