Birdy

Speaker for Zhejiang University

Birdy is a speaker that is designed to evoke a tactile and interactive experience with a creature, rather than a geometric object. With intuitive controls, users can manage their music playback by using the bird as a game stick. By swinging it in different directions, users can adjust the volume, skip to the next or previous song, and more. In addition to its music-playing capabilities, Birdy also doubles as a smart home assistant that responds to various bird calls. Its aim is to create a more natural and emotionally engaging user experience.

Download Press Kit № 149441

Download Press Kit № 149441 Speaker for Zhejiang University by Zhou Leijing to access high-res images, essential texts, translations, and exclusive interviews—all in one.

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Birdy by Zhou Leijing

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Speaker by Zhou Leijing

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Zhou Leijing Birdy

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Zhou Leijing Speaker

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Zhou Leijing Design Team Photo

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Zhejiang UniversityBrand Logo

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Birdy Speaker Press Releases

Press resources for Birdy are offered in several languages: English.

Birdy Speaker Media Articles

We provide articles ready for publication on Birdy, offered in several languages: English, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Spanish, Turkish, Korean, Indonesian, Arabic (Standard), Japanese, Russian and Chinese (Mandarin).

Unique Properties

Birdy provides a more engaging way to control music playback. With its bird-shaped game stick, users can interact with their music in a unique and interesting way, making the experience feel more natural and intuitive. Designed to emulate the experience of touching and interacting with a live creature, Birdy provides a refreshing departure from traditional, lifeless speakers.

Tags

Speaker, Emotional design, Bird, Bionics, Natural

Production Technology

The speaker features two 5W drivers with a dual-channel class D amplifier. On the top of the cone is a joystick sensor that detects the movement of the bird above it in both XY axes, thus controlling the music playback.

Design Challenge

The biggest challenge of the design is how to give an emotional connection to a technological artifact. We were inspired by the interaction between humans and birds, where birds have a natural connection to music. This led us to design Birdy, a speaker that offers a more natural and intuitive way to interact with technology, bridging the gap between the digital and physical worlds.

Project Duration

The project started in March 2021 in Qingdao and finished in September 2022 in Ningbo.

Operation Flow

Users can control their music playback by swinging the bird-shaped game stick at the top, similar to a joystick. Swinging the bird backward or forward adjusts the volume, while swinging it left or right skips to the previous or next song. Additionally, Birdy is also a smart home assistant that responds to different bird calls.

Research

People communicate emotionally with their pets and we have studied various interactions between people and their pets and found that we were inspired by the interaction between humans and bird pets, where on the one hand birds have a natural connection to music and on the other hand their physical interaction between human and birds can be extracted as a way to control the music.

Inspiration

The design of Birdy is inspired by the way bird breeders often stroke and interact with their pets. The bird is located at the top and the bottom is a conical speaker. It is designed to foster emotional connections between users and the device, creating a more natural and seamless user experience.

Image Credits

Xin An

Project Overview

Birdy Speaker has been a Iron winner in the Audio and Sound Equipment Design award category in the year 2022 organized by the prestigious A' Design Award & Competition. The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.

Iron Recognition

Zhou Leijing was recognized with the coveted Iron A' Design Award in 2023, a testament to excellence of their work Birdy Speaker.

Zhou Leijing Press Releases

Discover Zhou Leijing's journey through our press releases, available for all press members and journalists to use without restrictions. Immediate access is granted to 3 press releases for all journalists.

Introducing Birdy: A Speaker Inspired by Nature

Zhou Leijing Unveils Birdy, a Speaker Designed to Evoke Emotional Connections

Zhou Leijing Newsroom

Zhou Leijing Newsroom is your gateway to exploring acclaimed design and award-winning works.